Vigil of Sorrows
by Lehrain
Summary: Intercepting Konoha's Gaara rescue, Itachi casts genjutsu on Naruto. However, Sakura intercepts & deflects it w/ her inner self. Due to opposing efforts, they're cast into an illusory realm where everything's a reflection of their inner haunts. Journeying through an abstract world, they look for escape, learn from one another, & overcome their own mentality. Collab w/ The.Teal.Rose
1. A Chance Meeting

**Vigil of Sorrows**

**Author:** Lehrain

**Rating:** T

**Spoilers:** All

**Genre: **Romance/Drama

**Main Character(s):** Uchiha Itachi and Haruno Sakura

**Ship(s):** ItachixSakura

**Summary: ** Intercepting Konoha's Gaara rescue, Itachi casts genjutsu on Naruto. However, Sakura intercepts & deflects it w/ her inner self. Due to opposing efforts, they are cast into an illusory realm where everything's a reflection of their inner haunts. Journeying through the abstract world, they look for escape, learn from one another, & overcome their own mentality. Collab w/ .Rose

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Naruto or the Elder Scrolls (mainly the Shivering Isles).

**A/N:** This is a collaboration fic, in which I take it from Sakura's POV and .Rose from Itachi's. Hers is under the title: "Illusions of  
Serenity". Also, Slytherstein is writing a fic, which will be centered around Sasuke during the two and a half years prior to our stories and will be writing  
from Sasuke's POV when all three stories meet. Hers is under the title: "Emulation of Apathy" and if you want the full effect of this story, then  
you'll have to read all three.

…..

Vigil of Sorrows

Chapter 1

"A Chance Meeting"

…..

A quiet stillness overtook the forest as the sky's light was overshadowed by the darkness that was night. The trees reached up to touch this blackness, but they could never reach it. A lone wolf cried to the luminescent moon while the owls continuously searched for their evening meal. This was the procedure for the forest every time the sun fell through the horizon and nothing disturbed its cycle, except for the four shinobi huddled around a small fire.

Haruno Sakura leaned her back against a tree as she watched the logs burn in the orange flames. She was on lookout while the rest of her group slept. Kakashi-sensei had done this every night and she insisted on doing it this time so he could have a chance to regain his strength. They were closing in on the Akatsuki and would need all their strength if they wanted to be successful in their mission. He grudgingly agreed and now he was sleeping in the grass next to Naruto.

The pink-haired ninja smiled sadly at her friend. She knew he was only pretending to be asleep; he hadn't slept much since they received the news about Gaara. It was obvious Naruto cared a lot about the Suna Kazekage and desperately wanted to save him.

Sakura clenched her fist and averted her eyes back to the dying fire. The Akatsuki would pay for what they had done and one more than the others.

Uchiha Itachi. The man responsible for Sasuke-kun's suffering and the only person he hated and wanted to kill. The man responsible for Sasuke-kun leaving Konoha nearly three ago and joining the evil Snake Sannin to become stronger. Orochimaru was only using him so he could take his body once his current one wore out and she had to stop that from happening. They only had a few months, but she and Naruto were going to save Sasuke-kun together and then, take care of Uchiha Itachi.

Just last week she was in the library researching the Akatsuki and the facts surrounding the vengeance of her former teammate…

_Sakura woke early to the sun shining brightly in her closed eyes. She groaned, but decided against staying in bed; Tsunade was going to be busy at the hospital toady so it was the perfect time for her to do some research in her library. _

_She quickly changed into her favorite pink skirt and sleeveless red top and brushed through her short pink hair before leaving her room for breakfast._

_Kizashi, Sakura's father, was sitting at the table, drinking a cup of steaming coffee and reading the day's newspaper. _

"_Good morning," Sakura greeted with a smile as she descended the stairs._

"_Morning, Sakura," Kizashi returned, not lifting his gaze off the page._

"_Is there more coffee?" she asked, pointing in the direction of the kitchen._

_Her father held up his full mug. "Yep and I just made it so it's still hot. Make sure you save some for your mother."_

_Sakura rolled her eyes. "Like she needs any," she mumbled and walked to the kitchen. She poured the black liquid into a mug and added a teaspoon of sugar. 'Even though it's somewhat bitter, it keeps me awake and that's all that matters,' she thought._

"_Sakura, while you're in there can you grab my toast and the butter?" Kizashi called from the other room._

"_Sure, dad. Do you want the jam?" Sakura called back._

"_You know I hate that stuff."_

_Sakura giggled and grabbed what he asked. She also made some toast for herself and went back to the table. "Here you go," she said as she placed the plate in front of him and sat down._

"_Oh, thank you." _

_He began smearing the butter on his breakfast while Sakura ate hers._

"_Has anything interesting happened lately?" Sakura inquired, referring to the newspaper._

_Kizashi thought for a moment and shook his head. "Nothing besides the usual: ninja protecting the village, gossip and the fruits are selling. We are such a simple town, don't you think, Sakura?"_

_Sakura forced a smile and a nod. 'This town is anything but simple, but I suppose only we ninja would be aware of that.'_

"_Simple? You think this village is simple when we have a monster living in it?" Mebuki asked, walking up behind Sakura._

_Her husband waved her off and returned his attention back to the newspaper. _

"_You don't?! We could be in danger if that thing attacks and it doesn't bother you?"_

"_Nope. That boy hasn't attacked us yet and it's been nearly sixteen years. Besides, the Hokages don't seem to be afraid of anything happening so why should I?" _

"_Because we can't trust him and they don't even know when that monster will finally lash out! It'll be instantaneous and he'll destroy the village, killing who knows how many of us!"_

_Sakura clenched her fist under the table. No one talked about her friend that way. "You wouldn't understand, Mother, because you don't know him." _

"_Know him?! Who would want to know that disgusting beast?" Mebuki asked harshly. _

"_Anyone who already does! Naruto, yes, that's his name, is a wonderful person and he's done nothing but protect this village!" Sakura snapped. _

"_I don't care if he dies for this village! That doesn't change what he is!"_

_Sakura sighed and shook her head. Her mother could never understand "I have to go to work." She smiled at her father as she walked past him and exited the house._

_The cool morning breeze helped her calm down as she made her way to her master's grand library. Naruto had been shunned by the villagers for a long time, but he always wore a smile on his face as if nothing were wrong. He was very strong and not just physically, but internally as well. _

'_That's why I decided to become stronger as well. I didn't want to be that weak, little girl anymore who could only watch as her friends fought to protect her. Now, I have the power to protect _them _and I will definitely use it to save Sasuke-kun!' _

_These thoughts swirled through Sakura's mind as she came upon the large double doors which led to her destination. She calmly pushed them open and walked to the nearest bookshelf. As she made her way to it, she relayed the information she already knew in her head._

'_Uchiha Itachi is Sasuke-kun's older brother and he slaughtered his entire clan, leaving only Sasuke-kun alive. Why did he do that? Someone as heartless as him, who killed his own parents and everyone else he knew, couldn't kill his younger brother? Did he really care or did he have an ulterior motive? Naruto told me Sasuke-kun acknowledged him as his closest friend and said that was why it wouldn't be pointless if he killed him. Could that have something to do with Itachi's intentions? If it does, then he's even worse than I originally thought.'_

_Sakura found the files she'd been looking for and spread them out across the table. She read their contents aloud, "Uchiha Itachi showed great skill as a ninja from a young age. He was a genius among geniuses, as most would say. The Uchiha prodigy attended the Academy at age seven and graduated that same year with top grades. By eight, Itachi had activated and mastered the use of the Uchiha Clan's Bloodline Limit, the Sharingan. He continued to advance in rank, becoming a Chuunin by ten and an ANBU captain at thirteen. That same year, Itachi murdered every member of his clan, except his younger brother of five years, Sasuke Uchiha. He then left the village and joined the terrorist organization, Akatsuki. Uchiha Itachi has been classified as an S-Rank Missing Nin and an enemy of Konoha. His two elemental affinities are for fire and water." _

_The young ninja took a moment to take in everything she had just read. He would prove to be a very powerful opponent when they went against him. They _had_ to be ready. _

_Sakura nodded resolutely and skimmed over the next file. This one was about Orochimaru. Most of it she already knew or had guessed, but the interesting part was that he had previously been a member of Akatsuki. "So if we find Akatsuki, then that can lead us to him and Sasuke-kun .We could finally have a lead on their whereabouts. I have to let Naruto know." _

_She spun around and made her made back to the doors when an ANBU agent appeared in front of her. Sakura sighed in frustration. "Yes?" she asked, obviously annoyed._

"_Hokage-sama has requested your arrival in her office immediately. She says it's of the utmost importance."_

Sakura frowned. That was when Tsunade-sama ordered them to go on this desperate mission. She knew it was their priority to save the Kazekage, but that didn't stop her from thinking about what would happen in six months. She tried to shake the thought out of her mind.

"Sakura-chan?"

The ninja tore her jade eyes off the diminished fire and looked into the tired cerulean ones of Naruto. He was sitting up in his spot on the grass and staring at her curiously. "What is it, Naruto?"

"You were spacing out and looked upset. Is something bothering you?"

Sakura slowly nodded, "There's quite a bit, actually."

Naruto seemed to understand what she meant because he moved to sit beside her. "Alright, Sakura-chan. Tell me!"

"I want to rescue Gaara, honestly, and yet, I can't help but…," she trailed off.

"Worry about Sasuke," Naruto finished for her.

"Yeah, but I'm still going to beat the hell out of those guys," Sakura said, grasping her fist.

"That's the spirit, Sakura-chan! We're going to save Gaara and then Sasuke is next in line, but if we don't concentrate on just one at a time, then we'll never do anything. Let's get Gaara!" Naruto pumped his fist into the air with his newfound energy.

Sakura smiled. He could always lighten the mood. "Okay, Naruto, let's go!"

Naruto nodded, "Yeah! Come on!"

"And just where are you planning on going?" Kakashi asked from behind the blonde.

Naruto was slightly surprised by his teacher's sudden appearance but he quickly recovered. "To the Akatsuki hideout! We still have energy to use, Kakashi-sensei, so let's move out!" Naruto jumped to the top of Sakura's tree and grinned. "I'm going to make the Kazekage owe me one!"

Kakashi nodded and followed Naruto's example. Sakura helped Elder Chiyo to her feet and the two of them soon joined them. When they were all together, Naruto turned and started jumping across the trees, everyone closely behind.

…..

The sun was shining brightly through the tree tops as the four shinobi headed in the direction of the Akatsuki hideout. Naruto and Kakashi led and Sakura quickly caught up to them. She turned to Naruto hesitantly. "Naruto."

The said teen turned his head and waited silently for her to continue.

"Can I ask you something? How long has Akatsuki been after you?"

Naruto's eyes widened briefly before he dropped his cerulean gaze. After a few moments, he answered, "I don't know."

Sakura stared at him sadly. '_It must hurt him to think about the fact that they're after him_.'

Kakashi broke Sakura from her thoughts by saying, "Two members of Akatsuki once came to Konoha in an attempt to take Naruto. That was three years ago, and now they're starting to move again. I don't know the reason why, though."

"Why would they wait three years?" Sakura asked curiously. '_They could've probably gotten Naruto when they came before. Every member of that organization is an S-Ranked criminal and he wouldn't stand a chance, but now he's been trained by Jiraiya-sama._'

"I assume they wanted to go after him again, but couldn't. Probably because Jiraiya-sama was with him the whole time."

Sakura nodded. '_Jiraiya-sama is one of the three Legendary Sannin and they didn't want to try fighting him to get Naruto. That makes sense._'

"No," Elder Chiyo said from behind the Leaf Ninja, "The information I have gives a different reason."

"A different reason?" Naruto asked.

"It takes a lot of preparation to pull out a Bijuu once it's been sealed into a person. That's why they were delayed," explained Elder Chiyo.

"What's a Bijuu?" Sakura asked. She was mentally recording all this information and adding it to what she had already gathered about Akatsuki. The more they knew about their enemies, the better.

"You're Tsunade's apprentice and you don't even know that? Especially since Konoha has the Kyuubi…" The puppeteer glanced in Naruto's direction.

Naruto and Sakura both gasped, but Kakashi spoke. "In Konoha, everything about the Kyuubi is treated as top secret."

"Well, I guess it'd have to be. The Bijuu are mythical demon beasts with tails. The Sand has had the Ichibi for a long time. That would be Shukaku, who's been sealed within Gaara."

"Ichibi? So there are others out there besides the Kyuubi?" Sakura asked for clarification.

"That's right. There are nine of them total, and they all have unique characteristics and powers. Each of them has a different number of tails. The Ichibi has one tail, Nibi has two tails, up to Kyuubi, each one has a name that corresponds to the number of tails it has. The Bijuu are essentially enormous masses of chakra. During the Great Ninja Wars, each nation's hidden village tried to obtain them, hoping to turn them into weapons. But their powers are far beyond human understanding. They can't be controlled."

Sakura glanced worriedly at Naruto. This information didn't seem to be sitting too well with him.

Elder Chiyo continued, "I don't know why Akatsuki wants their power, but it's far too dangerous. I suppose even during peace, the times continue to change. The Bijuu still exist, scattered across the world."

Everyone remained silent after she spoke; silently trying to process everything she had just told them.

Sakura clenched her fist. '_So that's why Akatsuki are after Naruto and Gaara. They want to extract their Bijuu and probably use their power. Well, I'm not going to let that happen! We're going to get Gaara back and protect both of them from those criminals!_' She looked ahead determinedly as they continued on their journey.

When they came to where the tree line ended, they jumped down to the ground and ran forward until Kakashi-sensei stopped suddenly. He held his arms out and ordered, "Everyone stop!"

Sakura halted in her steps and looked around her sensei for the object of his distress. Standing but a few meters in front of them was a strange man wearing a black cloak with red clouds on it. He didn't make any move to attack them; only stood there staring at all of them. She didn't recognize him, but the weight of his chakra was crushing. This stranger must be very powerful.

"Who's that?" she finally asked.

"Already, huh?" Kakashi mused.

"Those eyes…" Elder Chiyo said to herself, but it prompted Sakura to take a closer look at them. The man before them had piercing crimson eyes. They resembled another pair of eyes she'd seen before, but couldn't quite name when.

"You…" Naruto glared at the red-eyed man.

A silence hung in the air as the four ninja glared at the cloaked stranger. A strong wind blew through their hair and shifted the dirt at their feet. Finally, Naruto spitefully said, "Uchiha Itachi."

Sakura gasped. '_Th-This man is…_' She stared at him in shock. His eyes were unquestionably the same as Sasuke-kun's which meant he wielded the Sharingan, and now that she knew, their resemblance was definite.

Anger and hatred boiled in her stomach. This man, who was just standing there, staring at them, was their worst enemy! Sakura gritted her teeth and glared at the traitor. '_This man is Uchiha Itachi!_'


	2. Deflections of Intrigue

**A/n:** I want to say thank you to all my reviewers and subscribers. Also, be sure to read _"Illusions of Serenity"_ by .Rose. Thanks again!

Vigil of Sorrows

Chapter 2

"Deflections of Intrigue"

…..

"Itachi…" Naruto gritted his teeth as he said the man's name.

Elder Chiyo stepped forward and Naruto turned his head to her. "This is him? The kid who wiped out his entire clan?" the older woman mused.

'_Yes, this is that murderous bastard_,' Sakura answered in her head.

The Leaf ninja glared at the traitor. The air was heavy with disdain, silence and the enormous chakra emitting from the member of Akatsuki. Sakura knew he was a skilled opponent, but she didn't care. Her hatred for Uchiha Itachi would be enough and she knew Naruto felt the same way.

Finally, the Uchiha spoke, "It's been some time Kakashi-san, Naruto-kun."

It took most of Sakura's willpower to not rush forward and attack the criminal; she still needed to be smart. He wielded the powerful Sharingan and could easily deflect her blows.

Sakura's glare intensified. '_The same Sharingan as Sasuke-kun's! This is the man who's made Naruto and Sasuke-kun suffer all this time!_'

The silence was, once again, broken by Naruto. "Bastard! Not just me, but Gaara, too?!

The wind continued to blow ceaselessly around the shinobi, carrying the questions away with it, unanswered.

Naruto pointed angrily at their enemy, "I'm gonna kick all your asses!"

Sakura inwardly nodded, tightening her grip on her fist, prepared for an attack.

The Uchiha said nothing and his gaze on them never faltered. He slowly raised his hands into the start of a seal.

Kakashi-sensei gasped. "Everyone! Don't look directly into his eyes, or you're finished!"

Sakura immediately responded and dropped her jade eyes from those haunting scarlet orbs to the swaying grass at his feet.

"Itachi's genjutsu are eye techniques. In other words, they take effect through your vision. You're okay as long as your eyes don't meet his," Kakashi explained.

'_I know his techniques, Kakashi-sensei. I researched this heartless bastard!_'

Naruto shifted his eyes to his teacher. "I know that."

"But then, how are we supposed to fight him?" It was true she had studied the Uchiha's techniques, but she never thought about what to do when faced with it. '_Damn! I still haven't changed after all this time? Why do I only ever focus on book smarts?_'

"Well, you…you focus on his feet and body, and attack based on how he moves."

'_So, if I can stay out of contact with his eyes, then I won't have to worry about the Sharingan._' Sakura slowly, and hesitantly, lifted her gaze from the ground up the Uchiha's torso to his face, but quickly stopped herself before she saw his eyes. "That's easier said than done."

"The Uchiha clan? Been a long time since I've fought a Sharingan user," Elder Chiyo informed them.

'_That's because _he_ nearly drove them into extinction_!'

"They're nothing special, though. There are plenty of ways to fight eye techniques."

"What should we do?" Naruto asked.

"When it's one-on-one, run away. When it's two-on-one, get him from behind," Elder Chiyo responded.

Naruto was obviously confused and lifted a hand to his face. "What do you mean?"

"_When it's one-on-one, run away _is obvious, right? In that situation, you can't win. But if it's two-on-one, if one person gets caught in a genjutsu, the other can attack the guy from behind. And if you attack the user, the genjutsu vanishes. Or if an attack isn't possible, you can dispel the genjutsu by hitting your ally. In other words, since there are several of us, one person will be the diversion, and the rest will attack the Sharingan's blind spot from behind," the Suna woman explained.

'_She is very knowledgeable. What she said made perfect sense_,' Sakura thought and said, "I see."

"I guess old people have their uses!" Naruto told Elder Chiyo.

'_If we weren't facing our enemy and about to fight, I would punch you for your lack of respect, Naruto!_'

They assumed their fighting stances and waited.

Always the impatient one, Naruto stood in front of the rest of the group. "Okay, I'll attack him-"

"Wait," Kakashi-sensei cut him off.

Naruto shifted his stance. "Kakashi-sensei! What do you mean wait?"

"Are you saying my tactics for facing the Sharingan are wrong?" Elder Chiyo questioned, clearly offended.

"Well, if were talking about regular genjutsu, your strategy would be fine. But in this case, things are a bit more complicated," Kakashi-sensei answered.

'_Because Uchiha Itachi is the prodigy of his clan. He's not just another Sharingan user._'

"What?"

"He uses the Mangekyou Sharingan, an eye technique far more powerful than a normal Sharingan. You suffer the full effect of his genjutsu the instant you're caught. In other words, while it only seems to be a second to everyone else, it can feel like hours, or days, for the one trapped in the illusion. I was lost in his phantom world for three days and ended up unconscious for a week. Dispelling the technique isn't possible."

'_He did that to Kakashi-sensei?! That Uchiha bastard! Was that when he was in Konoha three years ago? He attempted to kidnap Naruto and attacked Sasuke-kun, leaving him in a coma until Tsunade-sama healed him, and now I find out he also attacked my teacher, leaving him unconscious!_' Sakura gritted her teeth and narrowed her eyes into a deadly glare. There was no way he was walking away from this fight.

"He's a dangerous opponent. Just who is he?" Elder Chiyo asked.

"Impressive as always, Kakashi-san. You learned much from just one encounter with my Tsukuyomi." Itachi spoke again.

"I'm not done yet. After using that technique, you were very fatigued and retreated immediately. Besides using a large amount of chakra, using that technique poses a huge risk to your eyes. Right, Itachi?" Kakashi asked.

'_His eyes? Does using the Sharingan do something to affect them negatively? Is this the weakness I've been searching for ever since I heard the name Uchiha Itachi?_'

"An impressive analysis, for having only seen it once."

"Itachi," Kakashi-sensei started, lifting a hand to his forehead protector and pulling it back, revealing his own Sharingan eye, "how bad has your eyesight become?"

Sakura was barely able to hear the Uchiha gasp, but it was enough to confirm her suspicions. '_So, his eyesight is depleting. I suppose having such powerful eyes comes at a great cost. Could Sasuke-kun be losing his vision, too?_'

"Kakashi-san, you couldn't have…" The man whose eyes Sakura couldn't see didn't finish his question.

'_What is he talking about? What did Kakashi-sensei do? Wait, why am I listening to that traitor and doubting my teacher? Get a grip, Sakura!_' she inwardly scolded herself.

No one responded to the Uchiha and Kakashi-sensei simply stared back at him. The rest of his team followed suit, avoiding the Sharingan.

After a few moments, Kakashi-sensei casually placed one hand on his hip and the other in his silver hair. "Well, I may have let my guard down last time, but I'm no slouch, you know."

Sakura and Naruto turned to their teacher in surprise.

"Things will be different this time."

Naruto smiled determinedly, "That goes for me, too! You're making a big mistake if you think I'm the same as last time!"

Sakura leaned forward so she could see Naruto. He had gotten stronger in the three years since Akatsuki last showed their faces; much stronger than expected in such a short amount of time.

"Naruto, I'll take him," Kakashi-sensei ordered.

'_What?! He can't be serious?! Our enemy is too powerful for even Kakashi-sensei to handle alone! Our only chance is to defeat him together!_' Sakura glanced at Naruto and, by the expression on his face, she could tell he was thinking something similar.

"Don't tell me you mean _not fighting is our teamwork _again?!" Naruto asked desperately.

Sakura's eyes widened. '_That's what he did on our escort mission to the Land of Waves, but he would've died if Sasuke-kun and Naruto hadn't saved him. Didn't he learn anything from that?!_'

"No, this time I need you to back me up. While I'd like to act cool and say, 'You go on ahead', I won't be able to hold him off by myself," Kakashi-sensei replied.

Sakura and Naruto nodded to each other and turned back to their opponent.

He hadn't moved during their entire conversation. The Uchiha just let them talk and never took advantage of that to attack them. '_What is he planning?_'

Slowly, the Sharingan user started lifting his right hand, index finger extended.

'_What seal is that? Uchiha's have a natural fire affinity and their precious prodigy has a second for water. Neither of those elements have any seals that start with that form; no elements do, in fact. And why is his left hand still dropped by his side like he's not going to use it at all? It almost looks like…_' Sakura's eyes widened as realization hit her. Uchiha Itachi was a master at genjutsu and if you're that advanced, you don't even have to form seals to cast an illusion.

"It's time for you to come with me…"

'_He's going to trap Naruto!_'

The Uchiha's finger was pointing at Naruto, "Naruto-kun."

"Naruto!" Sakura pushed past Kakashi-sensei and held her arms out defensively in front of her friend. She's wasn't going to let this murderer take him.

In an instant, she knew she was caught in the genjutsu. Sakura could feel her mind slipping away from her consciousness and into an illusion, when there was a sudden, heavy throbbing in her head. Her inner self always came out when she was in danger of having her mind invaded.

Sakura felt two forces clash before she felt her consciousness spinning. The green of the trees was blurring into the blue of the sky and many other, unnamable colors joined with this mixture. She felt dizzy from the sudden contrast of stillness to the turning and the blurs passing by in flashes. Was her inner unable to block the Uchiha's genjutsu effectively? This didn't feel like any genjutsu she'd heard of, though. Perhaps it was a side effect of the clash and it wasn't only in her mind that she was spinning?

White flashed in her eyes and she instinctively shaded them with her hand, but the action knocked her out of her awareness and she could feel herself blacking out. She closed her eyes and all she saw as she slipped into unconsciousness was the dark shade of black. A young boy with onyx black eyes and hair came into her memory and a small smile appeared on her lips.

'_Sasuke…_' was the last thing she thought before she completely lost consciousness.


	3. Hostilities in an Unfamiliar Land

Vigil of Sorrows

Chapter 3

"Hostilities in an Unfamiliar Land"

…..

Sakura was stirred by the removal of something warm and comforting on her hand. A sudden chill replaced the feeling of warmth and she knew she needed to wake up.

'_What happened?_ _The last thing I remember was my mind pulling me somewhere. Am I dead? No, I wouldn't have felt that warm before if that was the case. So, that means I was unconscious and it's his entire_ _fault. Damn, Uchiha! The next time I see him, I'm going to beat him up until I'm satisfied. Where am I anyway?_'

Sakura slowly opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was Uchiha Itachi standing above her with his back turned. '_It's him!_' She gasped and immediately clapped her hands over her mouth. He would know she was there. '_What should I do? Should I run away? No, he'll catch me and then kill me for sure. Maybe if I attacked him, but he could use his eye technique and I'm all alone. I don't stand a chance against him._'

The Shinobi cautiously rose to her feet, but the sound of this action alerted the Uchiha. He turned around and she automatically set into a defensive position. '_Is he going to kill me? Well, I won't go down so easily if he tries._'

The man didn't move or make any motion to speak. He just kept his onyx gaze locked on her for an unnerving amount of time. Sakura suddenly remembered the power he possessed in his eyes and quickly withdrew her guarded appraisal. '_Wait, black! His eyes are black so that means his Sharingan isn't activated, but he could be tricking me into letting my guard down. Just like that bastard to lure me into a false sense of security. I'm not going to let him have that pleasure so I won't give him the chance to trick me. That bastard doesn't deserve anything of the sort._'

She wanted nothing more than to be out of this murderer's presence, but the only way she could do that would be to walk in the opposite direction, and one of the first rules of being a ninja was to never expose your back to an enemy. However, said criminal had his back to her when she woke up; did he think she wasn't a threat to him or was there some sort of scheme he had up his sleeve?

'_Okay, Sakura. Think. Remember what happened before you passed out._' She had blocked the Uchiha's genjutsu being cast on Naruto and repelled the illusion with her inner self. Then her mind started spinning and all she saw was blackness. Had the bastard knocked her out and brought her here to kill her? If that was his plan, why didn't he do it while she was still asleep? She had been defenseless and it would've be such an easy task for him. One quick slash across the throat and she would no longer be a problem.

Sakura raised her hands and touched her neck. The thought of that cold, unfeeling metal cutting into her skin made her hair stand on end. '_The sick bastard obviously just wants to watch me suffer. I definitely wouldn't put it beneath him. He's put so many people I care about through the same pain The bastard must think I'm some weak little girl who will cry and beg him to stop his torture. Well, I'll just have to prove how wrong he is._'

Suddenly, the Uchiha spoke in a voice that conveyed absolutely nothing to his intentions, most definitely suspicious, "Though you are wisely avoiding my eyes, I don't intend to harm you at this moment."

'_I was right! You _do_ intend to torture me. I'll play along, but I know what you're up to. Besides, I have the ability to deflect any genjutsu you place over me._' Sakura lifted her jade eyes and boldly stared back into his dark ones.

"I am going to ask you something and I would appreciate a truthful response. I will know if you are lying to me."

Sakura glared before scoffing, "Why do I have to answer at all?"

"Do you know who I am?" the Uchiha asked, slightly narrowing his black eyes.

"Yes, I do, you bastard!" Sakura retorted angrily.

"What is it that you know?"

She clenched her fist and her glare intensified. '_Who does he think he is? Asking me this after all he's done. Fine, I'll tell him what I know._' "You're a traitor to your clan and your village. You are with the terrorist group Akatsuki, who are after my friend's Bijuu. You're also the one responsible for Sasuke-kun leaving Konoha because he wants to avenge the family you betrayed and slaughtered in cold blood."

The bastard didn't respond to her accusations, but continued asking her questions. "And my abilities? What do you know of them?"

Sakura placed a hand on her hip and confidently replied, "Everything. Your nature affinities are fire and water and you are very skilled at genjutsu. You have the Uchiha clan's Sharingan, which you mastered at a young age, and a more powerful level of it called Mangekyou Sharingan. However, the eyes pay a heavy toll on your sight, which is fading away."

"Correct, on all accounts. And how, should you choose not to respond to my questions, do you plan to counter my techniques, more notably that of the Mangekyou Sharingan?"

The Shinobi stared at him blankly. She already thought about that and had come to the conclusion there wasn't a way for her to win against him. Kakashi-sensei informed her before that it was impossible to counter the Mangekyou Sharingan. '_Damn. But wasn't I able to deflect it before?_'

_**HELL YEAH!**_ Inner suddenly voiced.

Sakura smirked, "Well, you're not the only one here with special abilities. I have one in my head, but it's hard to explain."

"What is the nature of this ability you have?"

Sakura shrugged slightly, "Even I don't know the answer. All I know is that this is the second time it's been able to deflect a mind technique."

Once again, he didn't respond. '_What is the point of all these questions, anyway? Why are we even having this conversation? Is this all for his amusement? Bastard._'

The Uchiha broke her from her thoughts by asking, "Do you know where you are right now?"

Sakura raised a suspicious brow, but decided to look at her surroundings. They were in some sort of clearing surrounded by many trees. Possibly a forest, but she didn't recognize it. Was she right in assuming he had knocked her out and brought her here to die? Maybe _that_ was his plan: to leave her stranded in an unfamiliar location, too far from home for her to survive. She turned back to him, her jaw set in a frown. "No, but isn't that your intention?"

"Perhaps," he replied ambiguously.

'_That probably means yes. I definitely need to get away now. Okay, what are my options? Fighting him one-on-one is definitely out. Elder Chiyo had said you need at least two people to fight a genjutsu user, but that wouldn't make a difference if he uses that Mangekyou Sharingan of his. Kakashi-sensei said there was no way to escape. I can try running around him, but there might not be enough time for me to get away without him catching me. I just need an opening. Perhaps if I continued playing along, then I'll have an opportunity to escape. Yes, that sounds good.' _

Sakura tried thinking of a response to his earlier statement, but she couldn't concentrate because she noticed his eyes scanning the area. '_He's probably looking for the perfect place to bury me.'_

"What other abilities do you have?" the Uchiha finally asked.

"Why do you need to know?" Sakura probed before she could stop herself.

"Did I say I _needed _to know?"

"Arrogant bastard," she muttered quietly. '_All he's doing is turning everything I say back on me._'

"Arrogance is a rather subjective term, one that should not be used lightly. It is, as one often finds, the gravest of vices."

Did he actually have the nerve to lecture her? Did he simply view her as a little girl who needed to be taught something as trivial as what it means to be arrogant? Well, she already knew that and wouldn't have _accused _him of being such if it wasn't true. '_The way he speaks down to me like that just proves his conceit._'

Sakura casually smirked, "I wasn't using the term lightly, _Uchiha_."

"Did I say you were?"

Sakura narrowed her eyes irritably at him. "It was implied, you bastard, and you know it. Why else would you have said it?"

"I might have been implying it, or perhaps I wasn't," he replied in that infuriating monotonous voice.

"Is it impossible for you to give me a straight answer?" With every sentence he spoke, her anger continued rising.

"Impossible? Hardly. I merely word things in such a way as to allow the receiver to interpret them in any way they choose."

"Well, _great prodigy_, this receiver thinks it's very irritating and it only makes me dislike you even more." Sakura crossed her arms and turned her head away from him.

Out of the corner of her eye, Sakura saw the Uchiha turn in the direction of the eastward path. She slowly relaxed her arms and glanced in the opposite direction.

"Hmm, I will comply in continuing this conversation as we travel. You may follow if you wish, or stay if you prefer. Either way makes no difference to me."

'_He's testing me. He could catch me off guard if I ran away now. He's giving me the choice to either stay here and die or follow him, as his prisoner, which will probably result in my death anyway.'_

The ex-Leaf Shinobi slowly walked past Sakura and glanced at her briefly before directing his eyes ahead of him.

'_I don't care. This might be my only opportunity to escape and I have no desire to be stuck traveling with that hateful bastard. His back is turned again, which presents the perfect opening for me. All I have to do is run on the opposite path as fast as I can._'

Before she could talk herself out of it, Sakura dashed in the direction of the westward path, pushing herself to run faster with every footfall. She wasn't concerned with where she was headed. The only thing on her mind was putting as much distance between herself and the dangerous criminal as possible.

She only hoped he would ignore her and continue on his way. There wasn't much of a reason for him to go out of his way to hunt down and kill her, right? Then why had he kidnapped her in the first place?

'_It was probably to separate me from the rest of my team so the rest of his group could finish off Gaara. Gaara! I have to get back and help Naruto save him. He could be worrying about me instead of going after the Akatsuki, and that only adds a greater chance of the failure in our mission to rescue the Kazekage. I need to hurry, and find my way back. We have been entrusted with the success of this assignment, and I'm going to make sure that happens. Where to start? First, I would usually figure out where I am, but in this case, my top priority _has _to be getting away from that Uchiha. I think I can keep up this pace until nightfall. That should be a good distance away from harm and I'll come up with a proper plan when I stop._'

Sakura continued running along the curvy path, momentarily seeing the leaves of the strange trees as she passed. These images, etched into her memory, only added to the urgency of her flight and she didn't stop to look back; only pressed on in the direction of the unknown.


	4. One Step Closer

Vigil of Sorrows

Chapter 4

"One Step Closer"

…..

The narrow path continued through the dark forest, curving around tree after tree. Sakura's legs grew weary from her long journey, and it didn't help that she'd overexerted herself in her escape from the Uchiha. Every step she took weighed down heavily on her ability to stay conscious. Every footfall brought her closer to making the decision to stop and rest in the shade of the trees, but Sakura forced her body to continue moving forward.

The young shinobi couldn't explain it, but something felt off about the terrain she was currently trudging through. There was an eerie silence hanging in the air, and she was unable to shake off the feeling of foreboding lurking all around.

Sakura tilted her head to the canopy of trees, but there wasn't a single ray of light or otherwise shining through the leaves. All she saw was the same green foliage that surrounded her from every direction. The teen sighed and continued venturing through the shrubbery.

After journeying for several more minutes, Sakura was able to make out a faint red light ahead of her. "Ah! Finally!" She picked up her pace, ignoring the protests coming from her strained limbs, and made her way out of the tree line only to be met by a drastic decrease in temperature. She wrapped her arms around her shivering body and her bones moved painfully as she stepped into the clearing.

Red. That was the only color that touched this land. The sky was a dark shade of crimson, reflecting the same hue from the sinister moon. She spun around, but was barely able to see the forest she'd just exited due to the heavy fog covering.

'_What is this place?! Where did that bastard take me?!_' she thought frantically, trying to control her labored breathing. '_It's okay, Sakura. You can handle this. What are you? A shinobi from the Leaf Village trained by the Hokage herself, and this is exactly what you've been training for all these years._'

Sakura nodded, but it didn't completely build up her confidence. She gulped and when her foot touched the chilled grass, the sound of a loud crunch resonated from the point of contact. She cringed at the noise and reached her hand down to observe the source.

The shinobi was unable to see the object, but she could still use her other senses to determine its origin. It was hard and solid, and was originally very thick, but age and wear had its toll on the durability. At one end, it was round and curved in the middle and the other was sharp, obviously due to her foot snapping it in half.

'_So what is it? Not many things are like that._' Sakura rubbed her arms faster, the cold almost unbearable. She needed to focus on, '_curves_', finding out, '_round_', what this mystery, '_hard and solid_', object…,'_thick,_'…was.

Sakura's eyes widened in horror and she clumsily threw the artifact away from her, the force of the throw knocking causing her to stumble and fall. She turned on her stomach and crawled along the ground, wanting to get as far away from _that_ as possible.

The fog was still rendering her ability of sight useless, so she felt her way around with her outstretched hand. Her palm made contact with another bone and she shrieked, pulling her legs to her chest. "Where the _hell_ am I?!"

She was answered by another noise to her left. It sounded like the flapping of multiple pairs of wings and a caw, such as you would hear from a crow. Sakura slowly released her tight hold around her legs and slowly rose to her feet. She warily headed in the direction of the disturbance. The haze, she noticed, was diminishing in that area and she could see things clearer.

There was a black silhouette hunched over another, but she was unable to see anything else. She inched closer, but a mass of black birds flew at her. Sakura instinctively put her arms over her head and crouched, avoiding the sharp talons and beaks of the crows. They circled around her, ebony feathers falling on her terrified form until the fowls suddenly flew off to rejoin the scarlet moon.

Sakura remained in the fetal position for several racing heart beats until she finally relaxed her sore muscles and her eyes followed the retreating animals. '_What was that? They just appeared out of the mist and attacked me! What is with this crazy place?! Bones scattered about like it's some sort of graveyard, evil birds and a strange form…what is that anyway?_'

The pink-haired girl scooted closer to the black form she saw before the birds tried to kill her, and was close enough to see what it was, but it made her gasp, fearful and sickened. A large beast, looking like a mixture between a wolf and a wild dog, was digging its pearly fangs into its _dinner_, a dead human corpse. Several levels of terror surged through the teen at the gory sight.

Blood tainted the green patches of earth and various body parts were spread around the animal in shreds. The wolf-dog either didn't seem to notice her…or it was too interested in its meal, Sakura could see the ribs of the creature through its stretched gray skin. '_It's man-eating and it looks hungry._'

**RUN, DAMN IT! **Inner ordered.

The shinobi inwardly agreed, but her body refused to obey. Her legs were frozen in fear and prevented her from escaping.

Sakura gulped. '_What should I do?'_

The beast's ears pricked up. It had heard the noise and circled around menacingly. Its glowing yellow eyes were all that Sakura could make out due to the sudden reappearance of the misty haze. Blood clung to the wolf's jaws and stray strands of the liquid oozed down and joined its partners in the grass. A deep growl echoed in the clearing, and sent a shiver down Sakura's spine.

'_Move! Move! Move, damn it!_'

The rabid canine pushed off its hind legs and lunged at her, baring its teeth. Sakura screamed and rolled out of the way, finding energy after the sensation of adrenaline rushed through her. She charged at the animal, concentrating power into her fist.

"Hell yeah!" she exclaimed, landing a punch on the beast's muzzle. It whined and fell sideways from the impact, but recovered quickly.

Sakura's eyes widened in surprise, and she looked down at her hands. "What was that? Usually, one of my punches would kill it, but I barely injured it."

The shinobi kicked the wolf-dog away during its second attack, and it landed in a heap beside the corpse. '_Good. That should give me some time to figure out what's wrong._' Sakura interlaced her fingers and tried focusing her chakra to her hands. However, she couldn't even sense her chakra. It wasn't completely gone. That would result in her death, but it was definitely not accessible. "What the hell?! Why can't I use my chakra?"

Sakura ran through various scenarios in her mind and came to one conclusion. "Uchiha Itachi. That bastard. How dare he! I said I was going to beat him up for what he did to my friends, but now he's gone too far."

Being lost in her revelation, the pinkette failed to realize the man-eater had risen and circled behind her, ready to pounce again.

"If I see him again, I swear I'm going to kill him," she said through gritted teeth.

The creature snarled and pounced at her exposed back. Sakura turned in time to catch a glimpse of its open jaws, headed straight for her pink-haired head. She shut her eyes quickly. _'It looks like I'm going to die. I'm sorry, Naruto. Sasuke…'_

…..

Blackness.

That was the last thing Sakura remembered. Did she die, or had she passed out? Either way, that wolf-dog was going to eat her.

But why did she feel so comfortable? The region outside the forest had been so cold and creepy. Now, she felt warm and she was…under a blanket? Sakura groggily opened her eyes and saw a wooden ceiling above her. To her left, there was a crackling fire burning in a crevice between two stone walls. In the opposite direction, there was a quaint dining area with a small wooden table that looked like it could seat four people, which happened to be the number of chairs surrounding it. The sweet, welcoming aroma of baking cookies filled the room.

Sakura pushed herself up into a loose sitting position. She felt very weak and tired and it was a difficult task, but she needed answers. "Where…am I?"

"You're safe in our home, dear," a voice said behind her.

Sakura quickly spun around and rested her eyes on a young woman who didn't appear to be much older than mid-twenties. She had beautiful, long brunette hair and was smiling sweetly. "Who are you?"

The woman's smile softened and she laughed. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I'm being very impolite. My name is Tachikawa Koyori…and yours?"

"I'm Haruno Sakura. Umm…I don't mean to be rude or anything, but why am I here? I was in the woods being attacked by a wo-"

"A Jisatsu." A man appeared beside the woman, frowning. "They are vicious beasts that live in the many forests around our village. Only those of us who live here know how to avoid them. Anyone who runs into one will surely die. You are very lucky we were there, Sakura."

"So, you saved me? Why would you do that for a complete stranger?"

A small smile formed on the man's lips. "It wouldn't matter to us whether you were a stranger, a friend or a wanted criminal. We live by the code that all lives are important and to never judge a person by outward appearances. That means we never jump to conclusions about people we've just met. You need to have to have a civilized conversation with that person before you can find out who they really are beneath everything. First impressions are usually wrong, don't you agree?"

"I-I suppose," Sakura replied, slightly taken aback. She hadn't expected him to be so…wise. "What did you do to the Jisatsu?"

The pair exchanged a glance and burst out laughing. "We killed it, of course! There was no reason not to, and it was going to eat _you_. It's kill or be killed here," Koyori answered.

Sakura couldn't say she was sorry for the animal, but she wasn't happy it was dead either. '_Well, at least I'm still alive. And these people saved me._' "Thank you for saving me, Koyori and…"

"Nobu. Tachikawa Nobu. Koyori is my wife and our son Yorito is around here somewhere," the man said.

"Onee-chan!" A small boy, no older than four, with large sky blue eyes and the same brown hair as his parents, ran from around the corner and jumped on Sakura's lap, pulling her into a tight hug. "I missed you, Onee-chan!"

Sakura stared confusedly at the child. '_Does he think I'm his sister?_'

The child, Sakura guessed it was Yorito, nuzzled his head closer to her. "Mom and Dad said you weren't coming home," he lifted his eyes to her sadly, "but they lied. Why?"

The young shinobi was at a loss for words. What could she say to this sad child to keep him from crying? "I don't know, Yorito. I'm sure they had a good reason, though."

Yorito sniffled. "Really?"

Sakura nodded, "Yes, and I'm here now so don't cry, okay."

"Okay!" the boy grinned widely and Sakura felt awful for lying to the innocent youngster.

"Yori, it's time for bed. Come on, say goodnight."

Yori frowned, but immediately reverted back to his smile. "Okay, Mommy. Goodnight. Let's play tomorrow, Onee-chan!"

Koyori kissed her son's forehead and carried him back to his room. When they were out of sight, Sakura rounded on Nobu. "What was that about?"

Nobu sighed. "It's not a secret among anyone else, so it won't make a difference if I tell you. Two months ago, our only daughter, Naoko, committed suicide by jumping off the bridge overlooking the square. After her body was disposed of, Koyori and I decided it was best to keep the truth from Yorito. He's only four and we didn't want him to remember that about his sister. I suppose you resemble her in his eyes. He _is_ still a child."

Sakura's heart surged with sadness and pity. Poor little boy. "That's terrible. She killed herself? Wait, what do you mean _after her body was disposed of_?"

"I knew you weren't from around here. First of all, you didn't know about the Jisatsu. And you're surprised my daughter took her own life, but back to your question. It's exactly how it sounds. After a person commits suicide, for one, their souls can never be at peace and they'll be stranded in this world as ghosts forever, and also, their bodies are left in the same clearing where we found you. There, they are to be devoured by the Jisatsu. It's symbolic of the eternal suffering they will always feel from the point of death to forever." Nobu's voice never faltered as he explained. Most people would find it difficult to talk about such a sensitive subject, especially with such ease as he was demonstrating.

"S-s-symbolic?" Sakura asked.

"Yes. That's what I said. Now, it's late, I'm tired and I know you must be after what you went through earlier tonight. Try to get some rest, and we'll wake you for breakfast in the morning."

"Nobu, I owe you a great deal of gratitude, and I can't even express how relieved I am to still be alive, but I don't want to be a burden to anyone."

Nobu shook his head at her. "Nonsense! You'll be our guest and we don't mind. Besides, Yori seems be quite fond of you. Well, goodnight, Sakura," he said cheerily, walking back in the direction he'd come.

"Night," Sakura said quietly. She was still trying to process all the information she had just been told. From what she gathered, the suicide of Naoko didn't affect the Tachikawa's, except their son and that was only because he was young. Also, it seem that something like that was looked down upon in the village, but also wasn't. And the bodies were thrown out to rot and be eaten by those rabid beasts.

'_So those bones I found were…and that body…they were there on purpose? Then I was right in assuming it was a graveyard. Only it's not. It's a feeding ground…and everyone is okay with it? Where the hell did that bastard put me?!_'


	5. Acceptance of Many

**A/N:** I want to thank all of my reviewers and followers or anyone who has favorite this story for your continued support. Oh, and be sure to also read "_Emulation of Apathy_" by Slytherstein. This starts two years prior to mine and .Rose's stories and centers around Sasuke during his time with Orochimaru, and when all three stories meet up, she will be writing from Sasuke's POV.

Vigil of Sorrows

Chapter 5

"Acceptance of Many"

…..

The sound of clanking dishes and laughter filled the shinobi's ears and roused her from her slumber. Sakura felt very refreshed compared to the last few days. Her dreams weren't entirely pleasant, but it was one of the rare occasions that they didn't turn into nightmares.

For the past few years, every time she slept, wonderful memories replayed in her mind only to be replaced by horrifying images of her friends dying. They never occurred the same way, but the end result was always the same: she would be standing alone, crying, with no one to comfort her because they were all gone.

Sakura frantically pushed the memory to the back of her mind and forced a smile to appear. '_Come on, Sakura. Focus. Just be happy with your current situation. It could be worse...but it's not. So quit acting so childish and get out of bed._' Sakura nodded; she kicked off the blanket and enthusiastically rose to her feet.

"Onee-chan!" Yorito ran up to his _sister_, and grabbed her hand. He looked up at her excitedly, a large grin on his face. "Let's go play!"

Sakura was about to comply with his wish, but her stomach grumbled loudly in protest. Her face flushed, "I'm sorry. That's really embarrassing."

Nobu laughed from his seat at the table. "Not at all. You're hungry. There's no need to be ashamed of that. In fact, I'd be surprised if you _weren't_ hungry. Yori, your sister needs to eat breakfast before she can play with you."

Yorito's face fell and he stuck his bottom lip out, but Sakura shook her finger in his face, smiling. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. What did I tell you, Yori? I want you to smile, okay? I don't want to see any frowns or tears."

Yori's face instantly lit up, and he nodded energetically. "Okay, onee-chan, but can you please hurry?"

Sakura mirrored his nod and led the child back to his seat. She released his hand, and he seemed saddened by this for a moment, but the smile instantly returned and he crawled into his chair. Sakura walked around the table and sat across from the beaming four year old.

The small table was laden with a small gamut of appetizing fruits. Sakura didn't recognize any of them, but each reminded her of a similar fruit she'd eaten back home in Konoha. Red and ripe apple-looking fruits along with something resembling green grapes filled a large bowl in the middle of the table. Steaming biscuits and a jar of some type of jam lay in front of Sakura and she couldn't restrain herself from grabbing one and spreading the condiment across it.

Koyori giggled. Sakura turned to her, the biscuit hanging out of her closed mouth. This caused the rest of the family to burst out laughing. The shinobi grabbed the food out of her mouth and blushed a deep shade that rivaled her hair, but joined in on the laughter.

"Onee-chan is funny!"

…..

About one hour later…

"Onee-chan, look at me! I'm taller than you are!" Yorito called down from one of the higher branches of a leafless tree.

Sakura giggled and continued her own climb up the tall tree. "Just be careful, Yori."

The boy grinned happily. "Don't worry. I practiced!"

The pinkette finally reached the boy and joined him on the branch. She gasped at the sight she saw. The place might be red and creepy at night, but during the day it was a lifeless shade of gray and there wasn't a sun, from what Sakura noticed. Mountains towered above each other as far into the distance as she could see. It wasn't exactly what she would describe as a beautiful sight, but it was definitely stunning.

A cold breeze blew through Sakura's short hair and she shivered in her borrowed coat. She could see her breath every time she exhaled and the freezing air penetrated her lungs when she drew it back in. '_Why is it so cold here, anyway?_'

Yorito shivered beside her. Sakura smiled gently and wrapped an arm around his shoulder, pulling him closer to her. He crawled into her lap and rested his head against her warm chest. Sakura soon heard his methodical breathing lighten along with the steady rise and fall of his chest. '_Was he that tired?_'

Sakura brushed the child's short bangs out of his face. He smiled and leaned in closer to her warm touch. "You're such a sweetheart, Yorito. You kind of remind me of a…friend of mine. I didn't know him when he was your age though. Hell, I didn't even really _know_ him until we were twelve, but I've had a crush on him since we were eight years old. That's a long time, now that I think about it. I'm sixteen now, and I haven't even seen him since…he left almost three years ago." Sakura chuckled coldly. "Yeah, that's right. He…left, and it's all that murderous bastard's fault. That's the truth and I believe it completely. "

Sakura sighed and bowed her head, "Then why do I have this strange feeling in the pit of my stomach…that something just doesn't seem right about the whole situation? Do you know why, Yori?"

Yorito mumbled incoherently in response. He nuzzled closer to Sakura and folded his hands underneath his head.

"No, I don't suppose you would. You're still a child, but...I am, too. I am a shinobi of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, but still just a teenager. It's strange the ways our lives turn out, but that's just life, I suppose."

"Onee-chan, don't go. I still want to be with you," Yorito uttered quietly, but it was loud enough to reach Sakura's ears.

Sakura smiled affectionately at the child sleeping on her lap. "I can't promise that, Yorito and it's not because I don't care about you. My friends need me and I have to go home. That's where my life is, but I will make this promise to you: I promise to come back and we'll play together again. I might not be your real sister, but I already think of you as someone important to me, like the little brother I never had." She leaned her head down and kissed his forehead softly.

Yorito smiled and stirred from his slumber. He sat up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "…nee…chan…how long…was I sleeping?"

"Only a few minutes, sleepyhead!" Sakura ruffled his hair playfully and helped him onto her back. She then proceeded to climb back down the tree and landed heavily on the hard grass. She lowered Yorito to the ground and grabbed his hand as they made their way to the small farmhouse.

…..

Nobu and Koyori were harvesting vegetables from the garden when Sakura walked up to the house with Yorito trailing behind, sleepily. They waved at her as she approached and she returned it with her free arm.

Koyori placed her hoe against the fence and wiped the dirt from her hands onto her apron. "Did the two of you have fun today?"

"Yes, very much. Yorito seems to be very tired from it."

Yorito nodded lightly before he yawned. "I'm alright, Mommy. I…don't need to sleep."

Sakura giggled at the child's antics. '_Little kids are just so cute._'

Koyori shook her head and gently grabbed his hand and led him into the house.

Sakura turned back to Nobu and joined him in the field. "Need any help?"

Nobu wiped the sweat off his brow and grunted. "Sure. Grab that hoe and help me dig up these roots. This haul needs to be ready by week's end."

Sakura pulled her hair back and followed his instructions then soon joined him in the tedious task of farming. "Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about that. Where do you take your produce?"

"You don't know much about anything, do you? That's alright. We actually prefer to keep you youngsters in the dark. Well, every week, my wife and I leave Yorito with a distant relative of mine and go to the center city. That's Churitsu in case you didn't know. It's a very beautiful place and it's where our land, Kanashimi, and the only neighboring one, Yokusei, meet. Somewhat like the middle ground. There's a feud between us that's been going on for ages. I don't think anyone alive knows what it was like before the fighting started, except for Leader that is. A war hasn't broken out yet, but it's only a matter of time. The tension between us and them is always higher with every visit. I can only expect the worst to happen. Why do you ask?"

Sakura pulled out a rather tough root and threw it into the basket. She shrugged, "I was just curious about this place." The name Kanashimi wasn't familiar to her at all and neither was Yokusei or Churitsu. Where exactly was she? "Umm…do you know where Konohagakure is from here?"

"I'm sorry. Kona-what?"

"Konoha, the Hidden Leaf Village. Ever heard of it?"

Nobu shook his head, "Can't say that I have. You'll get that same response from anyone, by the way. The only places we know about are here, Yokusei, and Churitsu. You'd have to go to Leader for something like that."

"I see. So, you'll be going again in a week?"

Nobu nodded, "That's right. The people of Churitsu are dependent on our produce, and we're not going to be the ones who let them down."

Sakura laughed, and took a drink of water. "Do you think I could go with you?"

"Of course! My wife and I enjoy your company and it won't be a burden on us. Besides, we can't risk you having another run-in with those Jisatsus, can we?"

The thought of those beasts sent a cold chill down Sakura's spine. They were terrifying creatures. "No, we certainly don't. Oh, and who's leader? You mentioned him a couple times when you were explaining everything."

"Leader? Isn't the name alone obvious? He lives in the castle in the center of the city. Directly in between our villages and even the city of Churitsu, lies his domain, the Court of Tortured Souls. Leader is the person to see if you have any…odd questions. If I were you, that's where I would immediately go upon setting foot in the city."

"Thank you, Nobu. I think I'll do that. Are we done with the roots?"

"For now," Nobu sighed. He collected the gardening tools and locked them away in a crate before making his way inside.

Sakura pulled the holder out of her vibrant pink hair, letting it fall into its proper place on either side of her face. '_Just one more week, Naruto. Wait for me until then. I'm on my way._'

…..

The town was actually pleasant, much to Sakura's surprise, expecting it to be as cold and dark as the rest of the place. Vendors lined the streets on both sides, advertising their merchandise to the passerby. Sakura looked at some of the stalls, her curiosity drawing her to them. However, having no money on her, she was forced to decline the offers and move on.

Nobu and Koyori sang in unison with each other, a song Sakura didn't recognize:

_Oh, we toast our cups to you!_

_Listen, I'll tell you a tale._

_They jump, but do they e'er walk after?_

_No!_

_They dive deep down in the sea, but do they e'er come up?_

_NO!_

_Oh, Great Leader…feed them to the BEASTS!_

When the couple reached the verse about the sea, the villagers in their stalls had joined in with the song. It ended with a loud yell, cheers and joyous laughter following after the exclamation.

They even saw suicide as something to laugh at in a song. '_How could anyone think that way? It's horrible._'

Suddenly, an ear-piercing scream came from above, and, quickly looking in the direction of the source, Sakura's eyes widened. It all happened in a flash: one instant, the man was atop the building, and the next he landed on the concrete with a sickening _thud_.

The scene replayed through the pinkette's mind. That man had just committed suicide, and no one even blinked. They continued on their way, not caring about the life that man had just robbed himself of. "Nobu, Koyori, that man just killed himself."

Koyori turned to the shinobi, smiling casually. She glanced at the dead man for a moment then back at Sakura. "Oh, don't worry about that, dear."

"It happens all the time," Nobu added, continuing his journey through the town.

Two men, dressed in guard uniforms, walked to the corpse, shaking their heads, but there was a discernible grin on both of their faces. "How many is that for today? Five?"

The other guard nodded and they both dragged the body to a wooden cart. It was piled with several other bodies and they threw the new one on top of the stack. "Off to the mouths of the Jisatsu with these folks and Suicide Hill." The guards laughed at their jokes, dragging the wagon down the street.

Sakura watched the scene unfold, horrified. She knew she would never be able to get the image out of her head. That man falling willingly to his death, ignored like some common stone on the ground, and then carelessly thrown into a wagon, en route to be fed to the man-eating beasts. '_I have to get out of here. I can't stay here any longer. Where are the Tachikawas?_'

The couple was but a few meters ahead of her and she quickly caught up to them. They didn't even seem to notice they had left her behind, but that didn't matter to Sakura. She just knew she needed to get to the city as fast as possible. She was greatly indebted to the Tachikawas and she cared about Yorito, but Yokusei was filled with too much blatant death for her to handle. "How far are we from Churitsu?"

"We'll be there by red moon, dear."

…..

The sky had darkened hours ago, but they continued traveling. Sakura had grown accustomed to seeing red skies at night, creepy as it was, and was surprised to see the night sky looked similar to how it was back home, stars twinkling brightly overhead.

Sakura recalled a memory from the time when Team Seven was still together. They had completed a rather grueling mission in the Land of Lightning, and were headed back to Konoha. Kakashi-sensei had ordered her, Naruto, and Sasuke-kun to stop for the night so they found a pleasant grassy meadow to rest in.

"_Ah, finally!" Naruto whined, plopping onto the soft grass, mimicking a star shape as he lied on his back. _

_Kakashi pulled out his favorite orange book and lied down supinely as well._

_Sakura glanced at Sasuke, but he didn't make any motion to acknowledge her. He just stared up at the sky, probably lost in thought. Sakura sighed sadly and sat beside Naruto, who grinned mischievously at her._

"_Hey, Sakura-chan! It sure is cold tonight." Naruto scooted closer to her._

_Sakura glared at him and punched him in the rib. _

"_Ow! Sakura-chaaan." He clutched his side, holding back a cry of pain._

"_Hn," Sasuke grunted. He dropped his pack on the ground and lay down, his back to the rest of the group._

_Sakura smiled at him, but quickly turned back to the orange-clad loudmouth. "You deserved it, Naruto! I already told you to keep your distance." She leaned back and gazed up at the beautiful stars. "Well, night, Naruto and Kakashi-sensei. Good night, Sasuke-kun."_

"_Hey! Why does _he_ get a good night?" Naruto asked, pointing an accusing finger at Sasuke._

"_Go to sleep, idiot," Sasuke replied nonchalantly. _

"_What'd you say, jerk?" Naruto countered._

"_Listen to Sasuke-kun, Naruto."_

"_But why?" _

_Sakura sighed, "Good _night_, Naruto."_

_Naruto smiled triumphantly. "Good night, Sakura-chan."_

Sakura smiled fondly at the memory. It felt like it had been a lifetime ago when that happened. A short time after, they entered the Chuunin Exams and that was when everything started changing. In the Forest of Death, specifically. Orochimaru made his first appearance when he attacked them there and gave Sasuke-kun that wretched curse seal. From that point on, everything seemed different, but it didn't go completely downhill until _he_ showed his face in Konoha. '_Bastard._' Uchiha Itachi was a terrible person and a murderer, and Sasuke-kun had every right to want revenge for the deaths of his family; he didn't need to abandon his friends to do it, though. '_We were happy, Sasuke-kun. Was that not enough for you?_'

Sakura had become so lost in her thoughts that she didn't realize they had arrived at the city. Only when Koyori exclaimed that they had arrived was she pulled from her silent reverie. The pinkette lifted her head and gazed in awe at the sight of Churitsu.

A large stone wall, too high to climb over, encircled the entire city and the only entrance was through the wooden double doors directly ahead of her, which she proceeded to walk toward. A single guard stood on watch and bowed his head at her as she approached. Sakura returned the motion, walking past him and entering the immense city.

Sakura breathed in deeply; she had never seen anything like it before. People filled nearly every corner of the marketplace. It was a miracle they could move around at all. Shops, bars and houses were all crammed into the city along its sides and a ridiculously long flight of stairs led up to an extravagant building, which appeared to have been built on the top of a mountain. A long spire reached to the starry sky, daring to penetrate its serenity.

Nobu stood beside her, grinning. "Didn't I tell you it was spectacular?"

"Yes, you did. I just…didn't have _this_ in mind when you told me."

"I understand. Few can understand its true beauty, but I'm glad you can see it too."

Sakura nodded, "So am I." She forced her eyes off the building and cleared her throat. "Umm, where do I find this leader, exactly?"

He chuckled and pointed to the building that had caught Sakura's attention. "Up those stairs and in that building. That's the Court of Tortured Souls, Sakura. That's where Leader lives."

The shinobi made a mental note of that information. "Do I need to make an appointment first?"

Now, Nobu burst out laughing. "An appointment?! Why would you need one of those? Leader will see anyone and answer their questions regardless of where they hail. That's why he's the perfect person to have in charge."

"Oh. He sounds like he's extremely important."

"He is, Sakura. Don't show any sign of disrespect. Men have been known to go mad after crossing Leader."

Sakura swallowed uneasily. '_This leader sounds worse every time I hear about him._' She simply nodded and held her hand out. "Thank you very much, Nobu. You don't know how indebted I am to you."

Nobu shook her hand fervently. "The pleasure was all ours, Young Sakura. Feel free to stop by our farm anytime and don't be a stranger next time. I'm sure Yorito would be happy to see you again."

"I will. I promise. Say good bye to Koyori for me. She must've taken off."

"My wife has many friends in this city. When she's with them, everyone else leaves her mind. That's one of the reasons I love her," Nobu stated with a slight chuckle.

"Thank you again, Nobu. For everything."

Nobu smiled in return and headed back toward the marketplace. "See you around, Stranger."

As he was walking away, a question popped into Sakura's head. "Nobu, wait. There's something I want to ask you."

He turned back to her, a curious brow raised. "Yes?"

Sakura hesitated a moment, fearing his answer, but she shrugged off the feeling. "Why are you so accepting of the way things are in Kanashimi? You're daughter killed herself and was left to be fed on by ravenous beasts. Doesn't that make you feel grief and anger? Why are you so accepting of…death?"

"Because it's the way things are, Sakura. I told you on that first night that you shouldn't judge a person before you know them and needed to look deeper didn't I?"

Sakura nodded. "That's why you trusted me and let me stay in your home."

"Exactly. I waited until I knew _who_ you were before passing judgment. Well, when you live in Kanashimi, you have to think the complete opposite when it comes to death. You shouldn't think too much about it because that will only cause you pain. We don't mourn the dead. They're gone and that's how it is. Nothing anyone does is going to bring them back. The reason me and the rest of Kanashimi are so accepting of everything is because life is easier that way. I'm not saying it's the best thing in the world, but that's how we are raised. All of our negative emotions are kept locked away, never to be touched. That's our nature. After seeing death as often as we have, we learn to ignore it."

"But why would you choose to live like that? It sounds so cruel!" Tears filled Sakura's eyes, but she wouldn't let them fall. She wouldn't allow herself to be weak.

"It's who we are, Sakura. Accepting of fate. Let me give you some parting advice: never shut out your emotions. If you feel like smiling, then smile. When you're on the brink of tears, let them flow freely. You don't need to hide your true self to anyone. I knew you weren't from around here because your emotions came genuinely from your heart. Never lose that part of yourself." Nobu gave her one last parting smile, then turned on his heel and disappeared into the crowd.

Sakura's eyes stung and her cheeks were wet from the tears she finally released. "Thank y-you, Nob-u-u." She stood by the wall for several minutes, crying for all the times she held it in. Why was she always so weak? She was a shinobi, but she had a poor way of living up to that reputation.

"No. I have to be strong. I swore that I would become strong so I can protect my friends. I have to be strong now and get them back to them. I'll deal with these feelings later," Sakura stated determinedly. She wiped her eyes and straightened her posture. "I'm going to talk to Leader and he's going to tell me how to get back."

**HELL YEAH!**

Sakura resolutely marched toward the steps and began the long ascent up the mountain. By the time she reached the top, the sky was beginning to lighten but she didn't care nor did she stop to catch her breath. Sakura had a mission and she was _definitely_ going to see it through to the end. And she had a promise to keep to Yorito and the rest of the family.

The shinobi gazed in the direction of the Kanashimi and bowed her head respectfully. It might be a corrupt and twisted society, but she knew the people were all good, deep down. That's why she wouldn't mind going back again, promise or not.

'_I never did find out where this is exactly. I suppose that's something else I can ask Leader.'_ Sakura suddenly remembered what Nobu had told her about Leader, and her hand shook on the brass door handle. "I wonder if he's _really_ like that. Those are all just stories, right? Like that story Tsunade told me about the blind man. The one who went most of his life asking for money when he didn't need it, and when finally he realized it, light shone. His eyes opened and he could see clearly. It's just a story."

The Tale of the Blind Beggar always brought a smile to Sakura's face. She loved the moral meaning behind it. It always gave her the courage to do the right thing, and it worked again, just like it did every time.

Having gained the sudden boost of courage, Sakura tightened her grip on the handle and pushed the door in. It pivoted easily for such a large door. She had expected it to be heavy and resist her attempts to open it. '_At least I don't have to worry about that anymore._'

Sakura put one foot over the threshold, then the other and slowly made her way into the dimly lit room. '_Step one: accomplished!_' The door unexpectedly swung shut behind and she was left in almost complete darkness. She gulped. Three candles burned in the center of the room: two closer to her and one slightly further away. Together, they formed a triangular shape.

"So this is the Court of Tortured Souls, eh? Hmm, interesting," she mused, walking toward the closest candle. Sakura observed the dancing flame curiously. '_Is it like any other fire?_' She extended her hands and left them hovering around it. The warmth from the blaze spread through her and she smiled in contentment. '_Well, that was nice. Anyway, where is this leader?_'

Sakura glanced around the room, noticing it was bigger than she originally thought. She saw several people scattered about, but none looked like the leader that was described to her. To her immediate right, there was a person standing in the shadows. She was unable to make anything else out, but maybe he worked here? '_It's worth a shot. Perhaps he'll know something._'

Sakura lifted her head and casually ventured to where the man stood. He was taller than her, but she didn't care. She cleared her throat loudly and tapped him impatiently on the shoulder. "Excuse me; do you know where I can find Leader? You see, it's very urgent that I speak to him."

After a silent pause, the man replied, "I don't anything more than you do."

Sakura shook her head, disappointed. She'd hoped he would know _something_. "Well, thanks for nothing. Can you point me in the direction of someone who actually _knows_ something?"

"I recall you referring to me as a _great prodigy_? Does that not imply that I should know something?"

'_Wait, what?!_' Sakura suddenly recognized who this person was. "Are you kidding me? You bastard! What do you want now? What the _hell_ are you doing here?!"

"I assume that we are both here for the same reason."

Sakura glared at him and replied coolly, "Sure we are. What else would I expect from _the _Uchiha? He trapped me here and now he's lost himself. Oh, the things people would say."

"What other reason would I have for being here, if not looking for an escape myself?" he replied calmly.

"I don't know. Maybe you changed your mind and decided to kill me yourself. It's all about proving your _superiority_."

"You believe that I would risk failing an important mission assigned to me by my superiors in order to pursue and kill _you_?"

'_What is he getting at? Is he testing me again?' _Sakura decided this was probably the case. "Yeah, a _mission_. You're the heartless bastard who killed his family without so much as blinking. You continue to torment Sasuke-kun _and_ Naruto by always pursuing whatever amuses you. So, yeah."

"You mentioned all of that already. Also…I have to wonder if you are still actually afraid of me as you have been staring into my eyes this entire time. If I had wanted to kill you, I would have done it already," he paused, "and there is very little that amuses me, the pursuit of which I consider to be unnecessary. So…yeah."

'_Is he really mocking me? Bastard, but…I suppose he does have a point. He could've easily disarmed and killed me the minute I walked in. Not that I would be able to fight back. I can't use chakra…_' Sakura smirked. "Hmm…if you're stuck here like I am, then you shouldn't be able to use any chakra. Or is your _all powerful_ Sharingan above that?"

"I will assume from that statement that you are now in agreement with me that we both find ourselves within the same unfortunate situation?"

Sakura frowned. It was true that she agreed with him, but there was no way she trusted him. She would continue to keep her guard up. "Fine, whatever. Anything to end this stupid conversation."

"A conversation you started," he replied. The Uchiha nodded and looked away from her, "But you are right. I too, believe that it would be wise to end it."

'_Finally!_' Sakura rolled her eyes, "Good for you. Now, I have to find Leader." She turned around and scanned the chamber once again.

She noticed the Uchiha walk toward someone. '_Perhaps he knows where Leader is?_' Sakura quickly ran past the bastard and stopped in front of the man he was heading towards. "Hello. I was wondering if you could help me."

There was a silent pause before the man answered her, "What is it…that you need help with?"

"I hope _you_ know something," Sakura shot the Uchiha a smug smirk, "because I'm trying to find the so-called Leader. You _do_ know where I can find him, right?"

He slowly nodded, "Yes, I do." He then called to another person behind him. "Will you kindly let the Leader know he has a pair of visitors?" The man turned back to her, "his steward will fetch him for you. If you will follow me, I will take you to an appropriate place to wait for him."

'_Good! I was beginning to lose my patience!'_

The man then proceeded to turn and ambled to the room's center. The Uchiha followed him, and Sakura grudgingly walked behind him. They were led to a short set of stairs, which they ascended and he directed them to sit down beside a throne.

The Uchiha made no motion to accept the seat, and their guide walked off, resuming his previous post.

'_That looks extremely boring. I would not want a job like that.' _Sakura decided to take up the offer of the comfy looking seat. She casually strutted toward it and crossed her arms as she eased herself onto the bench. "Now _this_ is nice. Much better than standing forever," she thought aloud.

"Since you are disagreeing with my decision to stand, would you perhaps prefer that I take the seat beside you?"

Sakura scowled, but forced it behind a smirk and shrugged indifferently. "I don't care. Do whatever you want." Her thoughts were loud and pleading in her mind. _'No. Please don't sit beside me."_

"Then I will remain standing. I appreciate your kind approval, however."

"Bastard," she replied immediately.

"Do you have a name?" he asked.

Sakura furrowed her eyebrows. "Why would _you_ care?"

"I don't necessarily care. I would honestly just like to know."

"Oh. Well…fine then." Sakura released a sigh and her emerald irises looked directly into the Uchiha's onyx eyes. "My name…is…Haruno…Sakura."

He blinked after she revealed this to him. "Pardon?"

Sakura scoffed. "Is something wrong with your ears as well as your eyes?"

The murderer closed his eyes, sighing. "Yes, perhaps so."

A triumphant grin appeared on her face. Did she finally make him _reply_ without some snide remark or turning it around on her?

**HELL YEAH!**

A loud voice from behind suddenly echoed around the chamber. "Welcome! To my Court of Tortured Souls."

Sakura's eyes widened in surprise. She had completely forgotten the reason she had come here. _'Damnit, Sakura!'_ The pinkette slowly shifted her gaze and it fell upon a man standing before her, a rather beautiful mask covering his face. _'This must be the Leader. He's not as intimidating as I imagined, even if his entrance was unexpected.'_

Sakura cocked her head slightly. Something about this man's voice was oddly familiar. She was unable to place the name of the person, but the voice had caused a slight ache in her heart. _'Who is this person?'_


	6. The Start of a Journey

**A/N:** Thank you everyone for your continued support. Be sure to read "_Illusions of Serenity_" and "_Emulation of Empathy_".

Vigil of Sorrows

Chapter 6

"The Start of a Journey"

…..

The Leader was silent for several moments. Sakura tapped her foot impatiently, waiting for him to speak; the silence seemed to drag on. '_Well, I certainly didn't come this far to just _wait.' The restless shinobi finally stomped her foot on the ground and rose out of her seat. "Look, I don't care if you're this powerful leader or whatever, but it's rude to keep people waiting. Where the hell are we?"

"Sakura-san, I don't rec-" the bastard began, but he was cut off by a chuckle from the Leader.

"Don't fret over it, Itachi. What else might one expect from our dear Sakura?"

Sakura's eyes widened. '_What the hell?'_ Who was this strange person? "Who are you and how do you know my name?" she demanded.

The Leader simply released another chuckle, which sent a chill down Sakura's spine, and calmly walked over to his throne, sitting leisurely upon it. "Would you care for a drink? Some wine perhaps? I do find it much more appealing to discuss such important matters over a delightful beverage," he paused to look at the two of them, "do you not agree?"

'_Wine? Oh, I would never consider _that_ as appealing._'

"I might agree, in some circumstances. However, I respectfully decline the offer at this time."

'_Are you kidding? Well, I'm not refusing after _he _did._'

The Uchiha then added, "and I'm afraid it would be inappropriate for my companion to indulge the offer as well. If I am not mistaken, her current age does not allow for it."

Sakura glared at him. Was he still trying to teach her a lesson? She huffed angrily and crossed her arms.

"Oh? Well then, it seem I will be drinking alone tonight," the Leader stated. He paused before standing, "If you'll excuse me just a moment, I am going to help myself to a goblet."

He proceeded to amble back the way he had come in, the strange, looming presence disappearing as he did. Sakura quickly sighed, a weight lifting off her, but then she turned to the Uchiha, glaring. "Look at that, you bastard. Now he might not tell us anything and it's your fault."

"You believe he will withhold the information because I refused his offer? Were you planning to accept?"

His question caught her off guard. Yes, she was planning to accept. However, it was only because _he_ had declined, but she wasn't going to tell him _that_. "I-I thought it would be rude not to, but you obviously don't care."

"Perhaps I should not have spoken for you, though I admit that I was trying to word my reply in the most polite way I could manage. I feared you might say something to offend the situation. I did not consider the fact that you might accept the offer, not only because of your age but also due to the fact that we would find ourselves in an unfamiliar situation catered by a person we do not know. It would be unwise to accept any beverage he offered, do you not agree?"

Sakura gasped, "You mean like poison? I never considered that." Why was he so observant? It made her look foolish.

"No? Well, then I suppose it's fortunate you find yourself accompanying someone who considers these things?" he said.

"Well, I…I," Sakura replied, her mind fumbling over a reply. He was right…again. And once again, it made her angry. "I never said I was accompanying you."

The Uchiha replied calmly, "I assumed it to be an unspoken agreement."

Sakura scoffed and crossed her arms, turning her head away from him. "Well, you assumed wrong…again."

"I apologize for offending you then, Sakura-san."

The shinobi glared icily at him. "You and your apology can go to hell. That's where you both belong."

He only nodded in reply to her statement. Sakura smirked contentedly. '_He's uncomfortable. Good._'

After a short silence, the Uchiha answered, "I will remember to withhold my apologies in the future, then."

"And don't you forget it because I sure won't."

Another silence ensued. Sakura was happy with her victory, but it was quiet. Too quiet. She didn't like it at all. The shinobi glanced worriedly at the Uchiha, his gaze, she noticed, no longer on her. '_Damn. Stupid Sakura. I was foolish to believe I could get away with something like that. This strange silence speaks for itself._' "What are you plotting now?"

"Nothing, I assure you. I already said that I would not harm you."

"Well, I'll believe you, for now, but that doesn't mean I trust you." He could turn on her at any moment and she didn't want to risk that chance being presented to him.

He nodded, "Nor should you. I have not given you cause to trust me. However, for the time being, you can consider the truth of my intentions."

Sakura released a heavy sigh. What was with this criminal? True, he hadn't given her a reason to trust him but not a reason not to either, unless she counted _everything_ he'd done before they were trapped here. She would just have to trust in her own instincts for now. "Fine, whatever."

"Now then!" a loud voice called from their left, "shall we begin?"

Sakura raised a brow at the Leader as he reclaimed his spot on the throne. '_Why did he enter the opposite way he'd left?' _The pinkette shook the question out of her mind. It wasn't important and had nothing to do with her mission.

"You both know about the land's division and the curses placed upon the inhabitants, correct?"

Sakura's face flushed. "No," she replied quietly, "I've heard about the two lands though."

"But not the curse?" The Leader asked.

She shook her head slowly. '_This is stupid. What is he talking about? What curse? And why am I the one who looks like an idiot?'_

"I will explain it to her later if you would prefer."

"Of course you know!"

The Uchiha looked at her, "…Yes, well, once again, I am a _great prodigy_ after all."

"That doesn't mean you already knew about all this. Who's your informant?"

He tilted his head slightly, "A man I came across in the neighboring village. How is you have come here without know about this?"

Sakura opened her mouth to counter his accusation, but a chuckle from The Leader caused her to close it again and look back at him. "It's no matter, Itachi, I will enlighten the girl." He looked to Sakura," There are two curses. One, the curse of death which was inflicted over the land you came from, Kanashimi. The other is the curse of madness, cast upon the land Itachi ventured, Yokusei. I reside here, in the neutral area, protected by my divine will. You are the ones who will help lift this curse."

'_Curse of death, huh? I guess that explains all the misfortunes in Kanashimi. This other land, Yokusei, has the curse…of madness. Itachi was in a land…of madness?'_ Sakura attempted to bite back the laugh but was unable to contain it. She started laughing uncontrollably, her sides beginning to ache. The pinkette heard the Uchiha say something, but was unable to hear it over the sound of her own laughter.

She felt a sudden pressure on her shoulder. "Sakura-san."

Her laughter immediately subsided and she gawked up at him. He removed his hand from her shoulder, but her expression remained unchanged. '_What was that? Did he really just touch me? Well I never.'_ Sakura hardened her emerald gaze. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Why were you laughing?"

Sakura grinned slightly. "I asked you first."

"You did not hear when I addressed you and so I resorted to a more direct means of acquiring your attention. Your turn."

'_Shit. I'm going to look like an idiot.' _Sakura breathed in slowly then released it, replying softly, "because you were in the land of madness."

"Ah," he replied. "You found the fact that I was mingling with such company an amusing occurrence?"

Sakura giggled quietly before stating, "Yep. It's funny. It's really funny."

The Uchiha didn't reply. He turned his attention back to the Leader who said, "to answer your question, Itachi, I was not necessarily expecting your arrival nor did I foresee you seeking me out. However, now that I am within your presence, I find everything delightfully playing into the hands of fate."

'_What question was he answering? Oh, why do I care? What are the hands of fate? Who is this weirdo?'_

"Fate? Can you please explain how it is we both arrived here? Surely you must know that we are from elsewhere," the Uchiha replied.

"Oh, and here we arrive at last to the climax of our discussion. I know all too well where you are from, and why you have entered my domain. I also possess the means by which you may return, though I am afraid I am unwilling to offer you this reward freely," The Leader stated.

Sakura focused her gaze on him. What did he mean by that? Why couldn't he just let them go home? She couldn't care less about her so-called companion, but she had a mission that required her immediate return. Naruto needed her help to save the Kazekage and afterwards, Sasuke-kun.

"What is it you would like me to do?"

'_What? Is he seriously considering this? Doesn't he understand? Whatever, I need to get home and I refuse to be pushed around by this cryptic bastard.'_

"It requires you both. It cannot be accomplished while you continue to travel separately. Together, you must overcome two trials, one in each realm. The nature of these trials will present themselves to you and once you have conquered them you may return to me and I will send you back to your land. Simple as that, though I will not offer you any further information than that. I want you to discern the rest for yourselves."

Sakura chuckled angrily. "Are you kidding me?! First off, why do we have to do these trials for you anyway? And also, how can we trust a person who won't even show us his face?"

The Leader looked to her, "I do not believe you are necessarily in a position to be so demanding, Miss Haruno."

What was this feeling? His presence had drastically changed to one that was colder, darker. He had a menacing aura about his person and it frightened her. Haruno Sakura was afraid of this man. "Okay," she muttered.

The man then looked to Itachi, not waiting for her response, "I will tell you however, the journey is every bit as important as the outcome. You will know what the trials are when you are faced with them. The people will know."

Sakura noticed her companion shake his head. "Though I appreciate the advice, can you not offer us anything that would explain the nature of our predicament?"

"In time," The Leader replied before standing, "you are not ready for that yet. You will complete these tasks or you will never return to your land. That is your only option. It does not matter which land you choose to aid first, so long as you dedicate your services to both. Remember, only together will you accomplish my request. There is no other way."

'_Why does it seem like that last part was directed at me?'_ Sakura needed to think carefully about this. He was giving them a chance to return to their own land, to their home and she wouldn't pass that up for anything. However, doing these necessary tasks required her to travel with _Uchiha Itachi_ for who know how long. They would have to work together to complete both tasks, but could she really work with that murderer? Could her emotions handle being around that bastard for that long? It would involve a great deal of restraint on her part but if this was the only way then she would do it. No matter what she had to do, she would return home.

"I accept," she heard her future companion respond.

Sakura sighed. _'This is going to be hell, but…' _"I do, too," she said, a new-found determination building inside her.

The Leader's mood lightened and he clapped his hands together. "Excellent! Then I will meet you back here when you are done. Farewell, and safe travels!" He then spun around and hastily disappeared into the dark shadows of the room.

That same feeling of relief Sakura had felt before returned, only this time it would stay because he was really gone, for now. She shivered at the thought of confronting that man again, but luckily that wouldn't be for a while.

"Shall we go then?" the Uchiha asked, indicating the door leading out to the boisterous city.

A small smile spread across the young shinobi's face as she nodded, "Hell yeah!"

He motioned for her to take the lead, which caused her to glance at him suspiciously a moment before ultimately accepting the offer. Sakura walked to the large double doors and clasped her hand around the brass knob. '_Is this the start of a journey, perhaps? Hah! How stupid.'_ She nodded inwardly and pushed the doors open, a cool breeze blowing greeting her face as she stepped in the darkened city. She immediately stopped, frowning, "it's night already?"

"It was night when we arrived," he stated, looking to her.

"Oh," Sakura replied, mentally slapping herself for forgetting such a thing. She looked ahead of her at their dark surroundings. The stars were still twinkling brightly, causing the smile to return to her face as she revisited that happy memory. It was still dark, though. She lifted her hand to her face and could only discern a faint outline of it. "Well, it's dark and I can barely see my own hand. I know it doesn't make much of a difference to _you_, but I need to see where I'm going."

The Uchiha paused, like he was waiting for something, before replying, "Alright…would you like to acquire some sort of torch?"

Sakura sighed in frustration. Honestly, she felt like hitting him for his ignorance, but instead restrained herself. "No, you moron!"

He blinked, "I have to say, that is certainly the first time I have ever been called that. I don't believe your vague statement has any reflection whatsoever on my intelligence."

"Well, if you keep acting like this then you'll be called that a lot more, I assure you."

He sighed. "Sakura-san, what is it exactly that you are trying to say?"

Sakura lifted an inquisitive brow. "Are you serious? Are you actually unable to process what I _just_ said? I can't believe what people consider prodigies these days."

"I am perfectly serious. I am unable to process the statement you gave as it lacks any true revelation to your actual meaning. Also…you do remember that _you_ were the one who referred to me as being a prodigy in the first place. Therefore, the obvious admonishment of your last declaration t is directed solely to yourself."

Sakura glared at him again. "You're insufferable!" she yelled, turning on her heel and angrily beginning her descent of the long staircase.

She heard her companion's light footsteps behind her. '_He didn't even care.' _The shinobi slightly turned her head, her glare intensifying as she locked her emerald gaze on him. She kept her eyes on him as she continued her descent. However, as she placed her next foot in front of her, instead of it landing on the next step, it dropped and she fell forward. The girl managed to catch herself, one knee taking the full force of the impact. She had luckily only missed the last step, thus resulting in the absence of any severe injuries.

'_Shit. How did I miss that last step? Oh, that's right. It's because it's so dark out here. That's what I was trying to tell him earlier but he refused to listen. It's his fault I fell and now I've been injured. Terrific.'_

Sakura lifted her gaze off the ground and was met by Uchiha Itachi's extended hand. Her eyes widened slightly. _'Is he really trying to help me? He probably feels guilty and is trying to make up for his ignorance.'_ Sakura smiled smugly and placed her small hand in his warm one.

He waited a moment before pulling her to her feet when she proceeded to force her hand out of his grip and walk past him, exaggerating her limp. "You see what happened? That's because I couldn't see?"

He followed behind her and softly replied, "I believe that it was actually because you were preoccupied with glaring at me and not paying attention to where you were walking."

'_Is he trying to blame this on me?'_ Sakura scoffed and lifted her chin slightly. "Either way, you still had something to do with it."

"Yes, I suppose that might be true," he sighed.

Sakura laughed lightly to herself. She had proven herself right…again. "Well, now I _definitely_ can't travel tonight. I think we need to stop somewhere until morning."

"I suppose that's a wise tactic, Sakura-san. Let's stop at that one nearest the entrance," he finally said.

"A wise tactic, huh? Hmm, I like the sound of that." Sakura grinned proudly and continued limping in the direction of said establishment.

When they arrived at their destination, the Uchiha opened the door and stepped aside.

'_Is he still trying to make up for earlier? Well, isn't that nice of him?'_ "Hmm!" Sakura slowly walked toward the door, shooting him a smirk as she past and mumbling, "You're still a bastard." She stepped over the threshold and was greeted by the welcoming light and warmth of the inn.

In front of them stood a large desk and a woman motioning them over. "Welcome travelers!"

Her partner slowly made his way over to her, Sakura following closely behind. "How much for a pair of rooms for the night?" he inquired.

"Only five gold pieces. Best prices you'll find in this city," the woman answered with a smile.

The Uchiha pulled out a small satchel and handed her the specified amount before placing it back in his pocket.

'_Where did he get gold pieces? I'll just ask him later.'_

The woman inspected the money before replying, "Very good." She signaled for them to follow her. "Second floor. The rooms are nice and cozy. A complimentary breakfast will be served in that small cafeteria to your right at approximately 7:00 a.m."

'_7:00 a.m.? I always have to wake up that early. Can't I have a break for once? Geez, maybe I'll just go without breakfast,' _Sakura thought as she ascended the stairs behind the innkeeper.

"Sakura-san," the Uchiha began, looking back at her, "I will knock on your door 15 minutes before 7:00 so as to get everything prepared before we get something to eat."

Sakura groaned, "Why do we have to wake up so early?"

"We need to set out as soon as possible. We don't have any time to waste."

"Fine, but you're not going to wake me up. I'll already be awake. In fact, I'm going to get up at 6:00. You're not the only one who can get up early," she replied.

"Either way. I will be knocking on your door at 6:45. I never implied that you would not be awake. It might be foolish, however to forego those 45 minutes of sleep should you decide to wake up at 6:00."

"Are you calling me foolish, _Uchiha_? That settles it. At 6:30, I'm going to knock on _your_ door," Sakura responded smugly.

"Not necessarily, _Haruno_," he replied, "Though yes, I would consider that potential decision to be so. Whether or not you indulge that choice is up to you. As for coming to my door at 6:30, I'm afraid I will not be awake at that time."

Sakura shrugged her shoulders. "Do you think I care about your beauty sleep? I'm going to knock on that door and you better wake up."

"Beauty sleep? Are you calling me beautiful? I'm flattered, Sakura-san. Once again, that is the first time anyone has said as much."

Sakura smirked. "Well, it certainly won't be the last. I will personally make sure of that."

"What? What exactly do you mean by that?" he asked.

Her cheeks suddenly burned a deep shade of pink as she realized what she'd just said. "Uh…I mean…" she trailed off, too embarrassed to finish her sentence. '_What was _that_, Sakura?_'

"No matter."

"Well," the woman leading them said before stopping and turning to them. "Here are your rooms, take whichever you would like." She then offered them each a key.

"Thank you," the Uchiha nodded, taking one of the keys.

The lady nodded before extending the other toward Sakura, "there you are, dear."

Sakura kindly forced a small smile before accepting the key and examining it. _'She said it was a choice, but apparently not. Geez, he's selfish. He doesn't even consider others.'_

"Good night," the woman muttered and walked back down the hallway.

"Well then Sakura-san. Let's just agree to meet in the cafeteria tomorrow at 7:00."

"Sure. I don't feel like waking you up anyway."

He nodded before turning to unlock his door, "good night then."

"Wait," Sakura commanded before quickly venturing over to him.

"Yes?"

She lowered her eyes to the key in his hand then directed it back to his.

"Is there something you needed, Sakura-san?"

"Well, I see your moronic ways have not changed."

"Pardon?" he asked, lowering his hand from the door handle.

"You heard me. Now step aside," she replied.

"May I ask what has prompted this command?"

"No. Just do as I say."

After a moment, the Uchiha stepped back. Sakura nodded her approval before strutting toward her own room. "Just stay right there," she ordered. She unlocked the door and walked inside. Glancing about the room briefly, the shinobi immediately spotted what she had been searching for. She casually strolled toward the bed and plopped onto it. "It's bouncy. Nice room. Okay, time to test the other one," she mused before exiting back into the hallway.

"Will you kindly explain what you're doing?" the Uchiha asked.

Sakura noticed he hadn't moved and nodded again. "Your obedience pleases me."

He took a step closer to her. "On the contrary, for I really only wish to see how this little game of yours will play out."

"It's not a game," Sakura replied before stepping past him toward the other door.

"Do you need the key?"

Sakura clasped the door knob and turned to him. "I thought you already unlocked it."

"No," he shook his head, "as someone requested I should step away from the endeavor."

The shinobi sighed before she held her hand out to him, "give it to me."

"I don't typically respond to orders conveyed in such an unbecoming manner." He then stepped toward her and motioned for her to move, "I will, however, unlock it for you."

"It's about time. I was losing my patience," she said, removing her hand from the knob and leaning against the doorframe.

The Uchiha unlocked the door and stepped back, returning his gaze to her. "There you are, Sakura-san."

"Thank you," Sakura said before entering the room. She went through the same process as she had in the other room, but smirked as she tested the bed's bounciness. "This bed is much softer. You can have that other room, _Itachi_."

"Why did you not say in the first place that you were merely trying to determine which room you preferred?"

Sakura crossed her arms and locked her gaze with his. "Because I didn't feel like it."

He sighed, "Sakura-san, in the future I ask that you convey yourself clearly and communicate your actions thoroughly. As we are now traveling as a team, this is highly important."

Sakura laughed to herself. "Okay fine. I'll be sure to communicate this _thoroughly_." She leapt off the bed and stood in front of him. "_Please_…leave."

"Since you asked so kindly, I will oblige." He turned before looking back at her, "good night, once again. Remember 7:00."

He then looked away and left the room, closing the door behind him.

"Take your own advice and remember it yourself because I'll be awake," she called after him. She heard no reply and grinned. Sakura then made her way back to the comfy mattress and lied down on her stomach. Maybe now she could finally get some sleep.

There was a knock on her door and she shot up, annoyance engulfing her. She could guess who it was and decided not to open the door. "What do you want?"

"You have my key, Sakura-san," she heard him say from the other side.

Sakura looked down and noticed she still had the key in her hand. "You forgot it," she laughed.

"Yes, I'm afraid so. Will you please return it to me?"

Sakura glanced again at the object in her hand then back at the door. "No."

After a short silence, he spoke again, noticeably softer, "Sakura-san, I still have your key, so if you will not offer me mine I will have no choice but to enter and take it myself."

Sakura stared at the door, horror-stricken. "You have my key?! "

"Aa, you forgot it," he replied.

"Give it back!" she yelled, running toward the door, stopping in front of it.

"Open the door and I will," he said calmly.

Sakura groaned. '_I guess I have no choice, but if I do what he says he might think he can boss me around…or even blackmail me like he's doing now. What can I do?_' A sudden idea popped into her head and she decided to go with it. "I'm not going to open the door…but I'll give you your key back if you give me mine."

"Sakura-san…" he sighed. "Either you pass me mine under the door or I open the door and take it anyway. The choice is yours."

Sakura contemplated her choices for a moment when she got another idea. She walked away from the door and slid open the window. "It's a nice breeze out tonight. I'm sure your key will enjoy it, but there's no reason to go there, is there?"

"If you're planning to drop it outside, I will easily find and retrieve it," he explained, "though I believe this entire situation to be unnecessary. I still hold your key and if you would like it returned then I ask that conduct yourself civilly."

"How will you find it if I do throw it out the window? It's dark and it's not like you can actually see anyway," she countered.

"The street is made of stone, so it will be hidden in any way, and there are lamps to illuminate the walls surrounding the establishment. I can see the glint of metal, despite my impaired vision."

'_So it's true. He really is going blind._' As much as Sakura was tempted to just drop the key and make him search for it, she didn't want to anger him or anything. '_Who knows how unreasonable he'd be then._' She sighed and crossed the room to the door, which she opened. "Here's your stupid key, Uchiha."

"Thank you," he replied as he took it from her. She then watched him take her own out of his pocket and extend it toward her. "And here is yours, Sakura-san."

She snatched it from him and retreated back into the safety of the room, slamming the door behind in his face.

"And for the third time, good night," the Uchiha added.

Sakura slammed the key onto the table beside her bed. Why did he always have to make her so angry? How could anyone be so insufferable? He took everything so seriously.

She thought back to how she ended up stuck with the worst traveling companion in the world. It was only a week ago, if she recalled correctly, that she woke up in that small clearing with _Uchiha Itachi_ standing there and she accused him of trying to kill her. She thought he was the one responsible for her ending up here, but this was obviously not the case anymore. They were both trapped in this place until those stupid tasks were completed. "I guess I'll have to put up with him for now since that's our _only way out_. It's still unfair. "

The pinkette yawned. She was too tired to think about all of this. The girl fell onto her bed, sleepily kicking off her shoes and crawling under the welcoming covers. "Was it really necessary to say good night _three_ times? Once is enough for me," she mused, burying her face into the fluffy pillow. _'But I didn't say it at all, did I?_'

Her expression saddened slightly as she thought about her friends. They were risking their lives while she was comfortably staying at an inn. What would they say if they saw her now? Naruto would probably tell her try her best so she could hurry up and get back. Kakashi-sensei would smile and tell her she didn't have a choice. But Sasuke, he would be the most affected because she was _willingly_ traveling with his brother. The brother he swore vengeance on and hated. "I'm sorry about this, but like Kakashi-sensei said, I don't have a choice. This is the only way. Don't hate me for it, please."

Sakura sighed and decided to just go to sleep and worry about this after a good night's rest. She would be fully energized by tomorrow and ready to face the problems then.

"Good night, Naruto. Good night, Kakashi-sensei. Good luck, you two. Save Gaara from those Akatsuki bastards. Good night, Sasuke-kun. I hope you're safe wherever you are. Did you know that if you think of a person before you fall asleep, you'll end up dreaming about them? It's nice, isn't it, Sasuke-kun? Goodnight…" Her eyelids had grown heavy by this time and she happily allowed them to close, sleep overpowering her consciousness. "…Itachi."

…..

Haruno Sakura was suddenly awoken by a sudden pain in her right knee. The pinkette shot up abruptly only to be irritably caught in the folds of the blanket. She cursed under her breath and aggressively untangled covers before stumbling toward the small bathroom.

The kunoichi lifted herself onto the counter and inspected her wound. She couldn't believe she had forgotten to take care of it the night before. "It's nothing too bad. All it needs is a quick healing." Sakura stretched the injured knee and placed her hands above it, trying to summon chakra to her palms. When it didn't work she was shocked for a moment when she suddenly remembered one of the drastic changes between this land and her own. "No chakra. Oh, why didn't I think to ask The Leader about this when I had the chance? You never think, Sakura."

Sakura sighed and re-examined the injury. "I can bandage it up myself. Tsunade-sama taught me a few things about manual first-aid in case I was low on chakra." She rummaged through the drawers until she found something resembling gauze. She shrugged, "I suppose this could work."

She skillfully set to work cleaning the dried blood off and rinsing the wound, which she then wrapped the supposed bandage over. She inspected her work and nodded. "That's good enough for now."

As she made her way back into her room, she noticed the window was still open from last night and she proceeded to close it. Light was beginning to shine over the long spire and Sakura gasped. "What time is it? Never mind, I'll just go down there right now." She hastily pulled her shoes on before running out of the room in the direction of the cafeteria.

Upon arrival, Sakura stopped to catch her breath and gazed about the room. There were several strangely placed tables throughout and the only occupants of said furniture appeared to be limited to older people.

Sakura straightened her composure and strutted into the room, smiling proudly. "Hah! Looks like I managed to beat him here after all," she said to no one in particular. '_Now, where's an empty place to sit?_'

She heard that familiar voice behind her as the smile vanished. "Good morning, Sakura-san. I trust you slept well?"

Sakura dropped her head in defeat and stalked over to his table. "How did you win?"

"I was not aware we were competing."

"You should try to be more aware from now on then," she replied, sitting in the seat across from him.

The Uchiha nodded, "thank you, I will work on it."

A waiter approached their table then, a smile upon his face. "Ready now, sir?"

Her companion nodded again, "yes. I believe so."

The man looked at Sakura, "do you know what you would like, miss?"

"I don't know what you have here," she quickly responded.

"Of course, how neglectful of me. We have many wonderful things. Anything you like, I'm sure we could make. Customer request, you know," he winked at her, "as far as beverages, we have tea, coffee, water or juice."

"Anything I want, huh? Hmm, I like that. Okay then I'll have an order of Shiratama Anmitsu."

She could barely hear it, but the waiter chuckled, "of course, miss. That is an excellent choice. What would you like to drink?"

"Coffee. Just bring it out with the fixings separate. I always have to prepare it myself," Sakura replied.

The man bowed then looked to the Uchiha, "and for you, sir?"

A smug grin appeared on Sakura's face. '_Well, he's a gentleman. He took my order first._'

He was silent a moment before responding, "I will have coffee as well, same with the fixings on the side. As far as the meal, just a bowl of rice and some honey syrup will do."

"I will prepare those right away," the waiter replied, "and the coffee I will serve in a kettle for you to enjoy refills if you like."

Itachi nodded, "very good. Thank you."

"Not at all." The man then swiftly turned and headed toward the kitchen.

"I can enjoy as many refills as I want? And I don't even have to save enough to fill that stupid huge mug of hers," Sakura mused thoughtfully.

"Who mug is huge and stupid?" the Uchiha asked.

"What?" Sakura turned her attention to him.

"What were you speaking of just now?"

"Oh, that was about my mom. She insists on drinking a lot of coffee, even though she obviously doesn't need it. I personally think she might be more pleasant if she didn't drink it all," Sakura stated matter-of-factly.

"Your mother, huh?" he asked, "Do you live with both your parents then?"

Sakura nodded. "Yeah, but my mom can be really hard to live with sometimes. Actually, most of the time. She doesn't like my friends and nags me all the time. At least my dad is reasonable." As she mentioned the naggings of her mother, she recalled what Sasuke said to her the day they became teammates.

"_Where's Naruto?" Sasuke looked at her over his shoulder._

"_Changing the subject again? Forget about Naruto. All he does is pick fights with you. It's probably because he's had such an irregular childhood. Oh yeah, you know how he doesn't have parents, right? He's always doing selfish things. My parents would scold at me if I do such things. If you're alone, your parents wouldn't get mad at you. That's why he's so selfish."_

"_The solitude…"_

_A heavy breeze blew through the trees, the leaves dancing around their small forms._

"_What?" Sakura asked confused. _

"_You can't even compare it to the level where your parents get mad at you."_

"_What's the matter?"_

"_You're annoying," Sasuke said coldly before walking off._

The Uchiha pulled her from her recollection. "It seems helpful to have at least one parent whom you can relate with, I'm sure it makes it easier to deal with your mother that way."

Sakura nodded, her mind still focused on the memory. Was she doing the same thing she did that day? "Am I still annoying, Sasuke-kun," she asked aloud, forgetting that Itachi was still sitting there.

"Sakura-san." She heard the Uchiha's voice again and met his gaze. It was like déjà vu. Would both Uchihas say the same thing? "I'm sure with your personality you are able to keep your mother in line, and your father is no doubt there to support you. Besides, its people like that who can offer you the unique opportunity to laugh at their foolishness, rather than concede to their desire to instill anger."

That wasn't what she had expected. "My father does support me. And I don't believe a word she says about my friends. She's especially cruel to Naruto."

"I see. She probably just doesn't understand. Were you never indifferent towards him?"

"No, she doesn't understand and…" Sakura dropped her gaze guiltily, "I was really mean to Naruto before. It was actually because of what Sasuke-kun said to me that made me realize it."

The Uchiha nodded, "well, there really isn't any use dwelling on the past. You've obviously set things right with him now. That's all that matters. All one can do is atone for their wrongdoings in whatever way they see fit."

A small smile appeared on Sakura's lips as she nodded. "Thank you, Itachi."

Was she really having a civil conversation with Uchiha Itachi? He actually wasn't as bad as she originally thought and he was surprisinly easy to talk to. She couldn't remember the las time she had talked about this so openly, if at all. Maybe what Nobu told her before was true. She hadn't really thought about it much until now.

"_So, you saved me? Why would you do that for a complete stranger?" _

_A small smile formed on the man's lips. "It wouldn't matter to us whether you were a stranger, a friend or a wanted criminal. We live by the code that all lives are important and to never judge a person by outward appearances. That means we never jump to conclusions about people we've just met. You need to have to have a civilized conversation with that person before you can find out who they really are beneath everything. First impressions are usually wrong, don't you agree?"_

Itachi was a stranger to her before. She hadn't actually met him before that encounter in the forest. All she knew was what she had read.

"No need for that, Sakura-san," he replied with a nod.

A silence ensued until the waiter returned with the coffee. "Here we are, nice and hot," he informed them, placing a mug in front of each of them and a bowl with cream and sugar. "Your food will be ready soon." The man then turned and left the room once again.

The sweet aroma of the coffee enticed Sakura to lean closer to the kettle and extend her hand out to grab it. However, her hand made contact with it just as Itachi's did. He looked at her a moment before removing his hand with a nod.

Sakura smirked and nodded, satisfied with her victory. "Hmm, that's right." She then proceeded to fill her mug to the brim with the black liquid. She mixed in a spoonful of sugar and raised the cup to her lips, the smirk still present. As she tilted the cup, the coffee flowed over the top and spilled. The burning liquid ran from her chin down her shirt.

Sakura fought the desire to cry out in pain, but refused to do so in such a crowded area. Her eyes stung from the sensation and she attempted to distract herself from the agonizing feeling. She glanced at Itachi, noticing a small smile on his face. _'Does he think this is funny?_'

"Are you alright?" Itachi inquired.

She shook her head. "Do I look alright?!"

Itachi sighed and reached for the cup in her hand. "Why don't you see if they might have some ice, you can ask the lady at the front."

Sakura frowned before hesitantly rising from the table. "Fine."

She was about to walk away when Itachi stood and motioned to her seat. "You know what, I'll do it. I'll be right back."

Sakura shrugged and resumed sitting. Itachi looked at her a moment before walking toward the front.

As soon as he was out of sight, she noticed the waiter appear with their food. "Did you like the coffee?"

The kunoichi resisted the urge to glare at him and instead rolled her eyes. "Like you said, nice…and hot."

The waiter nodded before smiling and setting a plate in front of her. "Here you are, miss. What you ordered."

Sakura nodded gratefully at the man as Itachi returned to his seat. He placed several cubes of ice on the table before motioning to one of the napkins. "I would suggest wrapping them in that before applying. Otherwise the sensation would be all but pleasant."

The waiter proceeded to place Itachi's plate on the table before leaving again.

"I _am_ a medical shinobi, you know," Sakura laughed before grabbing a napkin and wrapping the ice in it. She dabbed at her neck lightly with it, where her burns hurt the most.

"Are you really?" Itachi asked, "I suppose now would be an appropriate time to ask you of your other abilities. It aids in the formulation of a suitable strategy, should we encounter any hostile confrontations on our journey."

"But chakra doesn't work here. It wouldn't make much of a difference," Sakura replied.

He shrugged, "we can still implement Taijutsu techniques, those don't require chakra. I still have a handful of shurikens in my possession as well as a dagger."

Sakura chuckled at the mention of him having a dagger. "If you mentioned that before I would've accused you of trying to kill me."

"Oh?" Itachi replied, "I seem to recall you having done that anyway."

She rolled her eyes at him. "I meant again, but whatever. My top skill has always been chakra control, but that's not going to help here. I stocked up on shurikens and kunai before leaving Konoha and I haven't used any of them."

Itachi nodded, "that's good. It will certainly help. Are you not at all adapt at Taijutsu then?"

Sakura shook her head. "Not really. I used it briefly during my Preliminary Match of the Chuunin Exams, but it ended up being a draw."

"That's fine," he replied, "just the basics then? I suppose we can work with that. Perhaps I can help you train sometime while we're here."

Sakura eyed him curiously. She wondered what kind of a teacher he was. Would he be somewhat off-hand like Kakashi-sensei or hardcore like Tsunade? She watched him prepare his coffee, adding cream and more sugar than she did. "Do you have some kind of sweet tooth?"

Itachi nodded, "yes, I suppose you could say that. I have a certain fondness toward sweet things in general."

The pinkette giggled. "That's ironic since Sasuke-kun doesn't like them at all."

"No…he never did. Not even when he was younger," Itachi replied.

"What kid doesn't like sweets? What did you do for his birthday? Make mud pies?"

"I always thought it was strange. As for his birthdays…our mother," Itachi began, "our mother would cook him something he liked and the rest of us would eat whatever dessert she decided to make. It really wasn't a conventional 'birthday', per say."

Sakura smiled at the image of a young Sasuke eating something made especially for him while the others ate cake. "What about your birthday?"

Itachi sighed before replying, "Sort of the same. Most of the time we celebrated our birthdays together as they both fall within the same time."

Sakura nodded lightly. It was nice hearing about the happy times of the past. When they first entered the Academy, Sasuke-kun used to smile. It was around that time that her crush on him started.

"Sakura-san, what are _your_ birthdays like?"

She broke from her current train of thought and stared questioningly at Itachi. "Huh?"

He shook his head, "never mind. I was just making conversation."

"Oh," she replied. She remembered how they started their current conversation and asked, "How's your coffee?"

Itachi nodded, "it's fine. I generally prefer tea but this coffee is rather good."

"You prefer tea over _coffee_?"

He nodded again, "very much so. I think it's too strong. I prefer the smooth taste tea offers."

Sakura shrugged slightly, "I guess I'll accept that answer. Herbal teas?"

"Mostly, though I do prefer some spiced brews."

"I love spiced teas! Which flavor is your absolute favorite?" Sakura asked curiously.

"Ah, that would have to be jasmine then. Definitely," Itachi replied.

Sakura nodded. "Jasmine's good. It's a beautiful flower. There is this hill near my house and they grow all over in the spring. It's like snow during springtime!"

She watched him smile again, "it is a beautiful flower. I do remember that about Konoha. We only had a single tree near my house, the one from which your name is derived…" she noticed he trailed off before looking at her, "you want to hear something rather ironic?"

Sakura leaned forward excitedly. "What is it?"

He paused a moment then replied, "well, as you had not yet offered me your name upon our first greeting, I decided to simply refer to you as something. The color of your hair reminded me of those Sakura flowers by my house and so I nicknamed you after them. So you see, when you revealed your name to me I was more than a little astonished by it."

Sakura lightly blushed. "That is ironic. You nicknamed me after a tree."

Itachi shook his head, "not after the tree, necessarily, off the flowers that grow on the tree."

"That's why my parents named me Sakura. I was born in March and had hair the color of Sakura blossoms. It was probably my dad's idea," Sakura explained.

"It is a rather unique color. Makes sense though, seems very fitting that they would name you that."

"Excuse us," a voice suddenly said to them. Sakura turned her head to the direction of the voice. It was the woman from the lobby. "Breakfast is almost over and we will be closing the cafeteria soon."

Itachi looked out the window, "alright, thank you. I lost track of the hour." He glanced at Sakura, "are you ready to go?"

'_Why did he look out the window?' _Sakura nodded and hastily shoved her untouched food into her mouth, washing it down with her now chilled coffee.

Itachi rose from his chair and grabbed a bag she hadn't noticed before. She placed her fork on the plate and moved to stand beside him. The woman walked up to them and Itachi proceeded to hand his key to her. He then extended his hand toward Sakura.

Sakura got the hint and pulled her key out of her pocket. "I could still throw _mine_ out the window," she joked, holding it in front of his face.

She watched him shake his head, holding back the urge to laugh again, and grab the key from her before handing it to the woman. "Thank you, once again for the stay."

"No, no thanks. We enjoyed having you. Be sure to stop by again next time you're passing through!"

Itachi nodded then indicated for Sakura to walk in front again. She nodded, "okay, as long as we don't have to go down any stairs."

"Right," he nodded. "How's your knee by the way?"

Sakura patted her knee with a grin. "It's fine. I forgot to clean it last night so it hurt this morning, but I took care of it."

"How neglectful of you, medic-nin," Itachi stated.

She mock-frowned, "that's only because _a certain someone_ felt the need to say good night three times."

Itachi shook his head before opening the door and stepping to the side. A cool breeze rushed in as the door opened and cooled the burns on her torso. "I think it's best if we don't discuss last night."

"Agreed," Sakura nodded, walking through the open doorway. She didn't want to think about how childish she had acted or why she dreamed of him.


	7. A Common Courtesy

Vigil of Sorrows

Chapter 7

"A Common Courtesy"

…..

The cool morning air blew through the street while vendors set up their stalls for the day. Each merchant was selling something different, a variety of objects placed upon every stand. Sakura's attention shifted quickly from one artifact to the next, excited to see all the unique items.

Something shone brightly in her eyes and Sakura angrily focused her emerald gaze on the source of the disturbance only for it to instead widen in admiration. A beautiful silver and sapphire drop-necklace sparkled brilliantly in the faint sunlight. Sakura wanted a closer look and immediately ran toward the stall. It was even more mesmerizing up close and Sakura stared at the necklace longingly. '_It's so pretty._'

"I see you have rather expensive taste, Sakura-san," a voice behind her suddenly said.

"Ah! Who are yo-" Sakura yelled, but cut herself when she turned and found the answer to the question she had started asking. Her eyes narrowed as she stated, "Oh. It's just you."

The Uchiha nodded, "Of course."

"I know that…now. What were you saying?"

"Just now? Or before you ran off?"

"Before I ran off? Did you say something?" Sakura asked, trying to think back to when he would've spoken.

"Aa," he replied, nodding again.

Sakura sighed impatiently. "What did you say?" After a moment, she added, "both times."

"The first time, I merely offered a suggestion that we gather supplies before starting off on our journey. The second time I was only voicing my observation concerning the expense of your preferences."

Sakura glanced back down at the beautiful piece of jewelry with a frown. "I didn't realize it was expensive. I just thought it was pretty."

"I see," Itachi replied.

Sakura's expression immediately changed into one of surprise and outrage. "That's all you have to say?!"

"I didn't…" Itachi sighed, "Were you perhaps wanting an apology? I believe I already stated that I would not be offering any more of those in the future. Or were you perhaps expecting that I purchase it for you?"

The shinobi glared at him. "I wasn't expecting _anything_, Itachi. Don't jump to conclusions like you know me." She scowled and walked away from the Uchiha jerk. Though her mind was protesting, Sakura couldn't help turning back to him with a smirk. "And don't forget about that apology thing because _I_ won't."

Itachi caught up instantly and walked beside her. "I assure you, Sakura-san, I have not. For the sake of not arriving at a false conclusion then, might I ask what you were expecting me to say a moment ago?"

Sakura opened her mouth to reply but hastily clenched her jaw together again. What _did_ she expect him to say? She had no idea. All she knew was his reply annoyed her and she was angry. There was _no way_ she was going to tell _him_ that, though. The pinkette racked her brain for an appropriate answer. However, inspiration not coming to her today, she sighed and dropped her gaze to the ground. "I don't know. Just…something."

They continued in silence for a moment, Sakura angry at herself for not being able to come up with an excuse. _Anything_.

Itachi broke the silence, saying, "you were my brother's teammate, as well as the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki's. You live with both your parents and have no siblings. You are academically adept, but have struggled with various ninja techniques. You have only seen very little of the world beyond Konoha's walls and therefore prefer a quieter lifestyle. Your favorite season is spring and contrary to what one might initially think, your favorite color is blue."

Sakura gaped silently at the Uchiha. It was all true. Every single thing he had said. Her favorite color _was_ blue. Most people assumed it was red or pink, but she only wore those to match her hair. Of course, it _used_ to be pink, why wouldn't it be? However, that all changed after she met Sasuke and he revealed that _his _favorite color was blue.

"_Sasuke-kun, what's your favorite color?" Sakura asked, walking up to him with a large grin on her face._

"_Blue."_

"_Really?! Mine, too! We have something in common!" she exclaimed happily. "Why is it your favorite?"_

_Sasuke didn't answer. He only shoved his hands in his pockets and walked off._

Oh, ever since that day she was just _drawn _to the color. The sky, water, sapphires, Naruto's eyes. '_Wait, _what_? Well, I suppose it's a pretty blue too. Hold on a second, how does _Itachi_ know all of this?_' She decided to just ask. "How do you know that?"

"It was just an analysis conducted through observation. However, now you have completely confirmed my speculations," he replied simply.

"You came to that conclusion from _observing_?"

"Well, more specifically from both observation _and_ from what you've already told me."

"Wow," Sakura nodded. "I must say, I'm impressed, Itachi. Besides, people assume my favorite color is pink."

"Aa, that was what I might have assumed if not for you running over to that stall and favoring that piece of sapphire jewelry," Itachi responded.

Sakura shrugged, "how did you know that I didn't just like the _necklace_?"

"There were several others, ones perhaps even more exquisite. The immediate draw of your eye was toward the color blue, as you spotted it from a moderate distance."

"Oh. I gave myself away there, huh?" she asked.

Itachi shrugged, "I wouldn't say it like that. You should not consider it as a negative development."

"Hmm…" Sakura replied before smirking. "It's a little unfair, don't you think?"

"How so? Because you do not know what _my_ favorite color is?" he asked.

"Yep, among other things. So, Itachi, buddy, tell me. What is the _great prodigy's_ favorite color?"

"Hmm, I wonder," he mused.

Sakura rose a brow. Who didn't know their favorite color? "Is it…red?" she asked, noticing again the cloud pattern on his cloak. That was the traditional Akatsuki robe, though, so it probably wasn't. "No. Maybe it's blue too. That would be funny. You, me and Sasuke-kun would all like the same color."

Itachi tilted his head. "Oh? So you know Sasuke's favorite color is blue?"

"That's right, but I never knew _why_. He refused to tell me."

Itachi was silent again. Sakura assumed he was observing things. However, she realized she was wrong when he stated, "it's because of what blue represents behind the Uchiha crest, as it is often set against that color for a reason."

Sakura waited expectantly for him to continue, but sighed when she realized he wasn't going to. "What's the reason?"

She noticed Itachi smile before responding, "firstly, the white signifies perfection and precision. The red represents sacrifice and power. Blue…" he sighed, "the blue offsets both and stands for composure as well as peace."

"So that's the reason? Sasuke-kun likes blue because it actually means something to him. That's so sweet," Sakura smiled, but dropped her gaze as she thought back on her reasons for favoring the color. Her reason was rather foolish, but maybe that was just what started her interest. Yeah, she was now naturally drawn to the color, as Itachi pointed out.

"Yes, I suppose it is."

Sakura nodded, and then suddenly remembered her original question. "Anyway, what _is_ your favorite color? I don't think it's blue anymore."

"Nothing so profound as Sasuke's choice, I assure you," Itachi replied.

Sakura giggled, "I didn't think it would be. Sasuke-kun has always been like that."

"Profound?" Itachi paused before stating, "You seem to really admire him."

"Well, yes. He was always so mysterious, but he wasn't really close to anyone. I always tried to talk to him when we were in the academy and that's why I was so excited when we ended up on the same team."

The Uchiha stopped walking and Sakura turned to him. She wanted to ask him why he suddenly did, but before she could, he motioned to her. "Let's stop here."

Sakura noticed the stall he was turned toward and nodded. "Okay. What do we need?"

The shinobi watched as he ventured in the direction of it and, she guessed, looked over the merchandise.

"We need four containers of water, six packages of the rice crackers, two bags of that dried fruit and a package of the loose-leaf tea."

Sakura proceeded to stand behind him. As they talked about the purchase, she looked over his shoulder, trying to see what he bought. When he finally turned to her, he seemed startled for some reason. "Is something wrong?"

After a moment, he shook his head, "No, I just wasn't expecting to see you there." She noticed his gaze switch from her to her bag. "Do you have enough room to carry some of this?"

Sakura held up a finger, indicating he wait. "Let me see," she said, pulling the bag off her shoulder and kneeling down. She turned the satchel upside down and dumped the contents on the ground, calling them out as she saw them. "I only have…my hairbrush, my makeup, my perfume, more makeup, and…ooh, almost forgot I had that."

The pinkette held up her bottle of hair serum. When did she put that in there anyway? She shrugged and continued going through the items. "A few medical books. You know, for medical purposes. First aid kit. Oh, my rain cloak, can't forget that anywhere. You never know with the weather. And finally…" Sakura trailed off when the picture of Team Seven stumbled out. She picked up the treasured keepsake and wiped off the dust, smiling fondly at the faces of her teammates. She missed those days.

Itachi's voice pulled her from her recollection as he softly said, "Sakura-san."

Sakura slowly tore her gaze off the picture and looked up at him. "Yes?"

He motioned to the objects on the ground beside her, "Do you think you can carry most of this in your bag?"

"Of course I can," she immediately replied before stuffing all her possessions back where they belonged.

Itachi opened his bag and said, "I will see what I can fit first." He grabbed a water pouch, the tea, one package of fruit and two of the crackers, placing them all inside. "Are you able to handle the rest?"

Sakura scooped the rest of the items into her arms with a grin, "We won't know until I check." Looking down at her bag, then Itachi and back to her bag, she asked, "Will you hold that open for me?"

The Uchiha nodded and proceeded to hold it beneath her arms. Sakura then dropped the supplies into the bag, shoving them in to fit.

"Sakura-san, would you mind if I…help you out with this a moment?"

"Why? Look, it all fits. Nice and snug."

He sighed, "well, you might want to consider at least folding your cloak. There will be a great deal more room that way."

Sakura snapped her fingers together. "Ah, good eye, Itachi. Oh, wait…sorry, that was a little insensitive of me. Anyway, good idea." She then repeated the process of dumping all the contents onto the ground. Sifting through the items, she lifted her cloak and smiled triumphantly. "I found it."

Itachi nodded, "Good eye, Sakura-san."

"Excuse me?" Sakura smirked, crossing her arms and letting her cloak fall back onto the stone. "You're acting like a child, Itachi."

"Oh? I thought I was merely announcing a clever jest."

"Clever? Please. You stole it from me."

The Uchiha tilted his head, "hmm. Which would perhaps imply that the original source is clever as well?"

Sakura nodded. "Exactly. I suppose I could say you were clever enough to resort to theft, if that would make you happy."

"Happy that you acknowledge me as clever?" he asked. "It is certainly an upgrade from _moronic._"

"I didn't _say_ you were a moron, I said you were _acting_ like one. See the difference? You should be clever enough to figure it out."

"Well, perhaps I was merely acting clever then," Itachi responded.

Sakura shook her head at him. "Then there's no hope for you."

Itachi simply nodded and replied, "No, I suppose not." He then glanced at her cloak, "shall we resume the preparations?"

"Fine. You've obviously appointed yourself as the leader in our group," Sakura giggled before folding her cloak and placing it extra gently in the bag. "How is that?"

"That's fine, Sakura-san," Itachi indicated the cloak before adding, "And as far as being the leader, I honestly did not even consider that point until now. If you have any experience as one, I suppose you could take that role over if you would like. Although, I would prefer to think of us as a team with equal positions."

'_I don't have any experience as a leader. When would I have done that? I could always lie and say that I do, but he would probably realize it and make me look foolish again.'_ After waiting a moment, she replied, "Okay. Equals then?"

The Uchiha nodded, "Aa. Equals."

She watched Itachi glance at the clutter of objects on the ground before his onyx gaze retuned to look at her. Sakura sighed, understanding the message he was relaying, and began stuffing everything on top of the neatly folded cloak. "Is that better?" she asked, looking up at the Uchiha who was now standing.

"There's more space, see?"

"I guess," Sakura replied haughtily before standing beside him and slinging her bag over her shoulder.

Once again, Itachi stepped to the step, motioning for her to walk in front. "Why do you want me to walk ahead of you all the time?" Sakura inquired, slightly narrowing her gaze.

"I suppose it's simply what I was instructed to do when I was young. You could call it courtesy, or merely politeness," Itachi answered.

Sakura held back a laugh. "It's hard to imagine _you_ as a child, Itachi."

The Uchiha revealed a small smile, "Is that so? Only a moment ago you _cleverly_ conveyed that you considered my behavior to be childlike."

The pinkette frowned slightly. "I know what I said, but that doesn't change anything. I doubt that was what you were like then. Am I wrong?"

Itachi shook his head, "no, not necessarily. I don't even consider myself as having behaved like that a moment ago. I do acknowledge, however, that there is a difference between the two statements. It leads to the question of why you would find that so difficult to imagine? I'm human, Sakura-san, and I grew up just like anyone else."

Sakura shrugged uncertainly. "I don't know. Everyone grows up differently, depending on family and their influences. As well as their position in society. It just seems to me that being born into a clan like the Uchiha's as a skilled prodigy, wouldn't give you the opportunity to experience a normal childhood, or as normal as someone's could be."

"Sakura-san, if you do not approve of walking ahead of me, then at least walk beside me and we can continue this discussion as we walk."

"I never said I disapproved of it. However," Sakura proceeded to stand beside him, "I think I would prefer to walk beside you, if you don't mind."

Itachi nodded, "not at all." He then walked out the gate and past the city walls, Sakura enjoying her attempts to slow down and walk the same pace as him. "By the way," he began, looking down at her, "which realm would you rather endeavor first?"

"Hmm…I promised to visit Kanashimi again, but we're going to go there anyway and I think it would be nice to see a change in the terrain. I like the people there, but the sky is just creepy at night. Don't get me started on those beasts." Sakura shivered at the thought of that hungry wolf-dog.

"Alright then, we will head east," Itachi said.

Sakura turned her head in that direction and nodded. "I have a question first."

He glanced down at her. "Yes?"

"Is...is Yokusei awful too? The Leader said both places were cursed and…I was wondering how bad it really is. Especially compared to Kanashimi."

"Well, I suppose it depends, really," Itachi responded. "I would say it's a great deal more strange than awful. As far as the landscape goes, well," he smiled, "it's actually quite spectacular."

"Yay!" Sakura cheered happily, relief washing over her. "I was a little worried that something like _that_ would happen again."

"Something like what?"

"Umm, you know, a suicide victim. When I was walking through the town, I heard a yell and saw a man falling, then he was dead. The worst part was that everyone acted like it was an everyday thing. Then two guards picked up the body and threw it on a cart with other bodies. They were going to feed them to the Jisatsu," Sakura explained slowly. She was surprised that image didn't haunt her in her sleep.

"That does not sound like a pleasant experience," he stated simply.

Sakura shook her head. "No, it wasn't, but I think the family I stayed with made it bearable. They're really nice people and they accept that lifestyle, so I learned. I don't think I could handle living like that, though."

The Uchiha nodded, "I imagine it's not a favorable existence, by any means."

She turned her head away and rubbed at her eyes. She refused to cry, much less let anyone see her doing so. The shinobi picked up her pace so she was walking slightly in front, but Itachi quickened his as well and was beside her again.

"It's purple," Itachi suddenly said.

Sakura lifted her head and stared at him, her emerald eyes watery. She sniffled before asking quietly, "It is?"

He nodded, "Aa. Though I don't really have an explanation for it. I've just always favored that color for some reason."

Sakura lowered her gaze to his hands; the fingers polished with a distinct purple hue, and chuckled. If she had noticed that before, she might've guessed correctly.

"Also," Itachi began, "you were right before, about my childhood. It certainly was not the easiest and a lot was expected of me."

Her eyes lifted again to meet his as she smiled sadly. "Oh. I'm actually unhappy that I was right. Everyone deserves to have a happy childhood and for it to last as long as possible. There's no going back to those simple times. I miss it sometimes."

"Yes, well despite it being difficult I was not actually unhappy. I enjoyed it as well."

"Oh. As long as you were happy then I guess there's no reason to be upset about it, right?"

Itachi nodded, "yes, that's right."

They continued in silence. Sakura glanced up briefly and noted that the sky was changing color. They must be getting close now. She had to admit, she was excited. Itachi had described the land as spectacular and she was just anxious to finally see it.

She turned to Itachi and he was looking at her, smiling gently. "Are you ready to see something really fascinating?"

Sakura returned the smile and nodded eagerly, "Hell yeah!"


	8. Meeting an Aquaintance

Vigil of Sorrows

Chapter 8

"Meeting an Acquaintance"

…..

Beautiful.

The one word Sakura could think to describe this land was beautiful. It was almost the complete opposite of Kanashimi. The sky was bright and vibrant with colors. The ground was covered with rich grass and flowers, swaying in the light breeze.

An excited smile spread across the Shinobi's lips as she spread her arms out and closed her eyes, welcoming the drastic warmth of Yokusei. After a long week, the pinkette finally felt peaceful and…happy. Was it the effect of Yokusei on her? This place was so wonderful. What could be so bad about it? The sound of Itachi's soft voice reached her ears.

"Sakura-san."

Sakura opened her eyes and turned to him. "Yes?"

Itachi stepped closer to her and lifted a hand to her head. He brushed something out of her hair and, glancing to the side, she noticed they were flower petals. "You have flowers in your hair."

The Shinobi felt her cheeks heat up as the Uchiha lowered his hand. She giggled slightly to cover up her embarrassment. "It's windy and there are flowers. Where else are they supposed to go?"

"Hmm…" he replied before shaking his head. "I don't seem to have any in my hair."

Sakura lifted her gaze to his dark hair and smirked. '_It would be funny if he _did_ have flowers in his hair.' _"That's a shame. I feel foolish being the only one with them in my hair."

"No need to feel foolish," Itachi replied, walking past her. "It would not be the same if they were in mine."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked before moving to fall in step beside him.

Itachi looked at her and tilted his head, "it compliments you better."

Sakura rose a hand to her pink hair and ran her fingers through it. "I suppose it does."

The pinkette smiled slightly as she remembered how she used to feel about her hair. When she was six she hated it because it was such an unusual color. No one else in Konoha had rosy pink hair.

_Sakura sat on her bed, her arms wrapped tightly around her legs and her head buried in her knees. Her eyes were wet with the tears she'd been shedding for nearly an hour. _

_There was a quiet knock on her bedroom door and her father stepped inside. He smiled comfortingly at her and shut the door behind him. "I know what's bothering you, Sakura." He then proceeded to cross the distance of the room and sit beside her on the bed where he pulled her into a loving embrace. "But I don't understand why."_

_The young girl sniffed and returned the hug. "I don't look like anyone else. Why did I end up this way?"_

"_There's nothing wrong with being different. Let me tell you something. I decided to name you Sakura not only because your hair is the color of cherry blossoms, but because it's unique like you are. The pink you are ashamed of is actually a gift. A gift that reflects who you are." Kizashi pulled away and lifted her chin so she was looking into his eyes. "You are my daughter and you are unlike anyone else. Be proud of that, Sakura."_

_Sakura felt a smile form and she nodded. "Okay, Daddy. I will. I promise."_

_Kizashi returned the smile, but it was playful. "I doubt you'll worry about that by the time you start liking boys. That feature will probably be what attracts them to you first."_

_The pinkette scrunched her nose in disgust. "Boys? Eww."_

_He only laughed and kissed her forehead. "Trust me. You'll feel differently in about two years."_

Sakura's smile widened. He father always knew what to say in order to cheer her up. He _was_ right, though. She learned to accept her unique hair color and never worried about it again after that conversation. Also, it was around the time she turned eight that her crush on Sasuke started. It was about a month after they started at the Ninja Academy. He was always very talented and she was impressed by his skills, along with everyone else in their class. However, that was only what made her admire him.

_Haruno Sakura swung back and forth on the swing outside the Academy, digging her bare feet into the soft grass. Her father was late today and all the other kids had already been picked up by their parents. She sighed and focused her gaze on the ground as she waited._

_The sound of the Academy door closing and the scuffling of someone's feet as they ran made Sakura raise her head and locate the source of the disturbance. _

_A boy who appeared to be about her age was running in her direction. She instantly recognized the familiar spiky black hair atop the head of Uchiha Sasuke. He appeared to be in a hurry and only stopped running when he was in front of her. He looked around him quickly, but dropped his head in disappointment. _

_Sakura was concerned and proceeded to ask, "Umm, Sasuke-kun?"_

_Sasuke lifted his head and stared at her in confusion. "Do I know you?"_

"_N-no. Well, sort of. We're in the same class together."_

_The Uchiha simply nodded and looked around himself again._

"_I think it's fantastic how talented you are! Where did you learn to throw kunais like that?" Sakura asked curiously. She had always wondered and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to ask._

_He glanced back at her briefly before returning his attention back to the Academy. "My brother."_

_Sakura smiled. "Really? He must be a very good teacher."_

_As she stated this, a figure walked around the corner and Sasuke's face instantly lit up. "Nii-san!" He ran to the man and hugged him. _

_Sakura couldn't hear anything that they said, but Sasuke was smiling happily up at the newcomer. She had never seen him smile before and it made her heart throb to see it._

Sakura lifted her arm and placed it on her chest, where she felt the beats of her heart. The memory of that day made it beat quickly. Her eyes widened as she realized something. _'That was Itachi! I never put that together before now, but I saw Itachi that day, too!'_ She lifted her emerald gaze to the Uchiha beside her once more, but was surprised to see his eyes already on her.

"Itachi," she started hesitantly.

"Hmm?"

She bit her bottom lip, but asked, "how many years older are you than Sasuke-kun?"

"About five years," he replied.

Sakura nodded before placing a hand on the top of her head and stretching her arm out in a straight path to Itachi's shoulder. "Hmm. I think you were shorter then."

"Shorter when, Sakura-san?" Itachi asked.

The pinkette tapped her finger against her chin thoughtfully. "If he was eight, then that would mean you were thirteen."

Sakura lowered her arm from his shoulder when she felt him stiffen slightly. Was it something she said? Maybe her approach to this topic was awkward for him. Perhaps she should try something else? "Did you ever go to the Ninja Academy after you graduated?"

"Did I…What do you mean?"

"I'm just trying to confirm something. Now answer my question," Sakura demanded.

"I suppose I did, every now and then," Itachi responded.

Sakura smiled and snapped her fingers. "That probably _was_ you then!"

The Uchiha shook his head, "Sakura-san, I am going to be perfectly honest with you…" he paused a moment before continuing, "I don't have any idea what you're talking about."

"You don't?" Sakura pondered this a moment before asking, "Would you like an explanation?"

Sakura noticed Itachi smile slightly before nodding, "Aa, if you would be so kind as to offer me one."

"Okay," she responded, stopping in her tracks and proceeding to sit comfortably in the grass. She met his gaze as he turned around and patted the spot beside her.

Itachi nodded rather slowly and approached her where he then lowered one knee to the ground. Sakura understood the gesture he gave and sighed. "Alright. Let me think…this was about a month after Sasuke-kun and I started attending the Ninja Academy. I'll start from the beginning." She paused, waiting for his approval to continue.

Itachi nodded and she smiled in return before stating, "Ever since our first day at the Academy, Sasuke-kun showed talent as a Shinobi. Everyone saw it."

"Yes, he was top of his class, I believe," Itachi replied.

Sakura nodded. "Yes, he was. Anyway, because of this, all the girls in our class adored him, but I didn't at the time."

Itachi remained silent so she decided to continue, "Until the day I mentioned, a month or so, my dad was late picking me up and everyone else was gone, except Sasuke-kun. I didn't know he was still there at first, but I did after he ran out of the Academy. He kept looking around and I was worried so I started a conversation with him. I was always curious how he learned to throw kunais so well during practice so I asked him and he told me his brother taught him."

Her Uchiha companion smiled at something, but Sakura guessed it had something to do with what she said. Looking at her, he said, "Aa, I did."

"I thought that was very impressive and I said you must've been a great teacher, but he never answered me because, and I only just realized this, you showed up. He looked so happy to see you and hugged you as soon as he saw you. That was the first time, and maybe only time, I ever saw Sasuke-kun smile," Sakura stated cheerfully.

She noticed a faint sadness in his eyes as he mused aloud, "Sasuke…used to smile all the time…"

The smile disappeared from Sakura's face. "He did? Who would've guessed?"

Itachi simply nodded and she watched as his eyes turned to the large field. Was this her doing? Had she unknowingly brought up something he would've preferred to forget?

Returning his attention back to her with a small smile, he stated, "You were the child on the swing."

"Yes, I was. Did you just remember that?"

Itachi nodded and responded, "I did. I didn't even notice you at the time."

Sakura grinned slightly, "That's alright. I didn't know it was you at the time either."

"Hmm…" he mused. Itachi then lifted his hand and rested it against her arm, only a few inches above the ground. "You were quite a bit shorter then, as well."

Sakura furrowed her brows at this. "I was not _that_ short, Itachi."

"Well, then…" he lifted his hand slightly and stopped beside her shoulder. "How about this?"

"Hmm…" She dropped her gaze to his hand and shook her head. "Not even close."

The pinkette watched as he reached forward and extended both his middle and index fingers before placing them gently on her forehead. Itachi titled his head and met her gaze with his. "How's that?"

Sakura's eyes widened in surprise. Why did he just do that? That was certainly strange. Maybe it was just something he liked to do. She shrugged and replied, "t-that seems about right…Itachi."

It was indeed strange that he did that, but even more so that she didn't mind. She had always been sensitive about the wideness of her forehead and yet, it didn't seem to matter right now.

After a moment, Itachi nodded and lowered his hand. Though it was only for a few seconds, she missed the feeling of his touch, but she knew she would just get over it soon anyway.

He sighed and directed his attention back to their surroundings, "you ready to continue, Sakura-san?"

"What?" Sakura asked, still slightly dazed. After a second, she processed what he had asked and nodded firmly. "Yes. Let's go!"

Itachi then rose to his feet and looked to her before extending his hand, a slight smile forming.

Sakura grinned and slid her hand into his. "I promise not to shove it away this time."

The Uchiha nodded. She watched as his smile grew before he gently pulled her to her feet. She expected him to let go off her hand the second she was standing, but instead he glanced down at it. "You…have a really small hand, Sakura-san."

"What?" Sakura followed his gaze and blushed slightly. "Maybe you just have a big hand, Itachi."

Itachi tilted his head, his eyes not wavering from their scrutiny. "Hmm….no, mine is an average size." He then looked to her, "but I'm not saying it's a bad thing. It's rather fitting, considering the proportions of its owner."

Sakura giggled. "So you're saying my hand is suited for me. In that case," she extended her other hand and rubbed his softly, "yours is fitting for you, as well."

For a moment, Itachi was silent before nodding his head. "Thank you, Sakura-san."

"You're welcome, Itachi. Thank you for helping me up," Sakura said with a smile.

The Uchiha returned her smile and nodded, "of course."

Itachi lifted his gaze to the sky then and Sakura tried following it, hoping to discern what he was looking at. In vain, she stared at the sky and frowned as she dropped her gaze. It fell onto his hand, which she was still holding between her own.

She was debating whether or not she should say something to her companion when she suddenly heard a strange noise and Itachi moved her out of the way of something. Quickly spinning around, Sakura caught a glimpse of a strange man as he ran down a distant hill and out of sight.

Sakura was bewildered by this and looked up at Itachi for an explanation. "What…was that?"

Itachi sighed before shaking his head, "You remember when you laughed at my being placed within the land of madness? Well…there's a reason this place is called that. The people here are…for lack of a better word, insane."

Sakura recalled the other day when she laughed in The Court of Tortured Souls. It sounded so amusing that Itachi had been in the land of madness, but after witnessing _that_ maybe it wasn't something to laugh at. "Okay. Just out of curiosity, how insane are they?"

Itachi shrugged before replying, "It differs. It ranges from a man beating fish against the dock to having them announce their devotion to you as some representation of an ancient, aquatic god."

"Wait, someone thought you were a god?" Sakura asked through a chuckle.

"Yes, actually," Itachi nodded. "Tinderwood was his name. An extremely eccentric sort of fellow. Perhaps you'll meet him, when we reach the village."

Sakura placed a hand on her hip as she smirked. "Well, then stop stalling."

Itachi raised a brow. "Sakura-san, if you recall, I was not the one who decided to stop and sit in the grass to converse over something we could have spoken of while walking."

"Okay, but you were the one who made that comment about the size of my hand. We might've been there by now if you hadn't," she countered.

He glanced down and Sakura followed suit, realizing she was still holding his hand, but he withdrew it and walked past her. "You're just exaggerating now."

Sakura scoffed, "Well, so what?"

Itachi glanced back at her with a smile, "stop stalling, Sakura-san."

"Hmm." Sakura lifted her chin and quickly moved to catch up to him. "then stop responding to everything I say."

"I don't wish to appear rude," Itachi replied simply.

The pinkette offered him a genuine smile. "Don't worry about it. Itachi, I don't care what others say, but you're a true gentleman."

Itachi glanced at her, but didn't say anything in response. He simply returned her smile before a silence ensued.

Sakura found it ironic how much quieter of a traveling companion Itachi could be than Naruto. Though he was one of her dearest friends, Naruto would rarely be quiet and he always spoke in a booming voice. It was a drastic contrast, but she welcomed it contentedly.

Itachi eventually broke the silence, saying, "In that case, Sakura-san, despite how you might come across to others…you don't annoy me at all."

The Shinobi lifted her gaze to him again with a grateful smile. He was obviously referring to Sasuke. "Thank you, Itachi. I appreciate it."

He nodded and they continued walking in silence. Sakura didn't want to disturb Itachi's thoughts so she instead looked to the terrain once more. The sky was starting darken, but it was still as enchanting as before. She noticed the temperature was still the same and was grateful she had returned the coat she borrowed from the Tachikawas. Glancing down at her short-sleeved shirt, Sakura's eyes widened. How could she forget that there was a coffee stain down the front of her shirt?

"There's a man there we can speak with. He's from Kanashimi," Itachi stated.

Sakura nodded her head. "Do you think he has anything to clean this out?"

"Pardon?"

She tore her gaze from her top and directed it at him. "My shirt. It still has a stain from that coffee I spilt."

Itachi lowered his eyes to her shirt a moment then they met hers again as he nodded. "It's possible, though it really isn't all that noticeable considering your shirt is red."

Sakura furrowed her brow. "Now Itachi, this is _you_ we're talking about. Normally I would trust your opinion, but when it comes to this, I don't think it's such a good idea…considering."

"Why would you not trust my opinion on this?" Itachi inquired.

"Well, because of your eyes," Sakura answered bluntly.

The Uchiha nodded. "Ah yes. My eyes." Itachi then directed his attention ahead of them, where she noticed a town was.

Was this the one he was referring to in his earlier statement? _'Makes sense,'_ Sakura thought as she followed Itachi down the hill.

"In any case, let's just wait and ask the man if he can help you out with that."

"Okay," Sakura nodded, "I just hope he can." They were now in front of the village where she supposed was the entrance. Only it was blocked by a pile of rubble and she lifted a questioning brow at this. "Wow. What happened here?"

Itachi looked at her then followed her gaze. "Oh. Not sure." He then proceeded to walk past it and venture into the town.

Sakura glanced at the destruction of rock briefly before she ran to catch up to him. She noticed a few civilians were stepping out of their houses and various places of the street. '_What interesting people._'

A strange, cloaked man approached them when they reached the center of the town. He walked in a demeanor that concerned Sakura, considering he had his head bent low and seemed to stumble over his own feet as he walked. He came to a stop in front of them then suddenly grabbed Sakura's hand. _'What the hell?'_

She noticed Itachi place his hand at his side, which was where he kept a weapon of some sort, she guessed. '_Probably his dagger_.'

"What are you-" Itachi began, but the man interrupted him.

"Mmm," he responded before he lifted the girl's hand to face. He then sniffed it, "the smell…is better than the taste."

Sakura blinked. Who was this freak? The Leader wasn't kidding about there being some sort of madness curse. This cloaked man was crazy.

Itachi broke her from this reverie by quickly grasping her wrist and forcing her hand out of the stranger's grip. He then lifted his dagger to the man's chest. "Move along."

The mysterious man only chuckled gruffly in response before quickly rushing out of the town. Itachi then relaxed and returned his dagger to its former place before he released Sakura's wrist. "Remain vigilant with these people. I had one attempt to kill me within the first village I came across."

Sakura had anticipated crazy, but she never imagined something like that. What was the point of that interaction? Who walked up to a person and randomly sniffed their hand?

Another man quickly approached them from behind and punched Itachi in the arm. When the Uchiha turned to him, all the man did was hold up two fingers then disappear.

'_What was that about? Who are all these freaks? Did he, maybe, mistake Itachi for someone else he knew?' _Sakura shook her head and decided it was probably unimportant. Recalling where they were headed, she asked, "Who is this person we're meeting? You said he's from Kanashimi, right?"

Itachi nodded then turned and motioned to a stable a short distance away, "he lives there."

"Ohh..." Sakura responded. After a moment, she snapped her fingers excitedly, "he's your informant, isn't he?"

It was strange, but Itachi laughed. Uchiha Itachi laughed. It had a very sweet sound to it and Sakura found herself liking the way it sounded. _'Was this the first time I heard him laugh?'_

"Yes," Itachi nodded, "that would be him." He then made his way to the house by the stable and knocked upon the door.

As the wooden door was opened, a man poked his head outside. He seemed to be worried about something as he was looking around the area, but motioned for Itachi to enter his house.

The Uchiha nodded, but looked to Sakura and moved to the side instead of entering. "She's my traveling companion," Itachi said. "Sakura."

Sakura saw the man smile as she led the way into the house then the man shut the door behind them. He then turned to Sakura and held his hand out to her, "well met. My name is Gregor Youngling."

The pinkette grasped his hand and shook it in greeting. "Hello. It's nice to meet you, too. As you've already been told, my name is Sakura."

"It's a very pretty sounding name," Gregor told her before releasing his hold. Turning to Itachi, he said, "I did not expect to see you back, my friend. Why have you returned so soon?"

Itachi sighed. "Something has come up. We came seeking your insight, Gregor."

"_My_ insight?" the man asked, confused.

Itachi nodded. For several moments, Gregor was silent before he motioned to the table. "Why don't you take a seat and I will prepare some tea. We will go into the details then." He then shifted his gaze to Sakura, "do you like tea, miss?"

Sakura giggled slightly as she glanced briefly in Itachi's direction before answering, "Yes, I do. What kind do you have?"

Gregor shrugged and turned to his cabinet, which he pulled a wooden box out of. "Just the standard flavor. There are some components of herb and mint as well as a hint of spice."

"Spice, huh? I like that," Sakura replied with a smile. "I would love some."

The man nodded before returning the smile and starting the preparations for the tea.

Sakura watched as Itachi crossed the room to the table and proceeded to casually sit in one of the chairs, resting his head on his fist.

"What if _I _wanted to sit there, Itachi?" Sakura jested.

"You were stalling again, Sakura-san," Itachi said, smiling slightly.

Sakura mock-pouted and moved to sit in the chair beside the Uchiha's. "This chair is probably better anyway. Serves you right."

"Perhaps it was my intention that you should have the better chair."

Her eyes widened in false astonishment. "Itachi! I'm honored that you thought of me."

The Uchiha tilted his head, "Why so surprised, Sakura-san? I seem to recall you having referred to me as a 'true gentleman'."

"Okay, I'll give you that one. However, it feels like this gentleman thing doesn't give much benefit to _you_."

"It's not supposed to," he explained, "it would defeat the purpose, I think."

"Hmm. So why do it?"

"Well," Itachi paused a moment before looking to her, "because I want to."

"That doesn't exactly answer my question," Sakura retorted.

"Are you perhaps actually trying to determine why I'm acting this way towards you in particular?" Itachi asked.

Sakura forced a scoff and crossed her arms. "Don't be ridiculous. I was just wondering why someone would choose to be a gentleman. Simple curiosity."

He smiled slightly as he replied, "hmm, well then, I suppose it's not always a choice. It's just a part of who I am."

Sakura recalled again that conversation she had with her father about her hair. It was a part of who she was. She smiled, "It makes you…unique."

"Does it?" Itachi asked.

"Yes," Sakura nodded. "Though I'm sure are plenty of people who would be considered 'gentleman', they still behave in different ways. Isn't gentleman basically a title anyway? It's up to you how to act under this title and that's the difference. It reflects your own unique personality."

Itachi nodded. "I agree that everyone is unique, but holding that title does not explicitly make me unique. A fact you amended when you stated that it simply serves to reflect my defining characteristics, right?"

Sakura shrugged. "Yes and no. I wassaying that it defines you personality, which make you _you_. And the title also contributes to being who you are. They both make up your unique self."

After a moment, Itachi asked, "Mind if I ask you something then, Sakura-san?"

"No," she replied simply.

He nodded. "How much do you really know about me?"

"Only what I've seen and heard. Why?"

"Because, I figured it was appropriate to the present context," Itachi replied. "What is it exactly, that you have seen and heard?"

Sakura pondered her answer. What had she seen and heard? First of all, there was what she read about his Shinobi abilities in the library and she heard rumors about his skills from people here and there. There was what Kakashi had told, what Naruto had told her, though barely anything, and mainly things about him and Sasuke, including the …massacre.

However, there was also the Itachi she was now speaking to. He was easy to talk to, which wasn't always easy to find in a person, but he didn't like talking about his family, for obvious reasons, and it seemed like he cared about them a lot. So many things she knew about him contradicted each other and she didn't even know how she felt about it.

Sakura laughed lightly. "You have a split personality," she joked, unable to seriously answer the question with all this confusion.

Itachi sighed and nodded. "Alright then, Sakura-san. We'll discuss this sometime later then."

"Okay, Itachi," Sakura nodded. Glancing at his hand, she remembered something she _did_ know about him. "You said your favorite color is purple. Why are your nails painted that color?"

"Uhm, it's…just part of the uniform, I suppose," he responded.

"Who designed that uniform?"

"You disapprove of it?" Itachi asked, smiling slightly.

"Well…" Sakura began, "it doesn't seem like the sort of thing that would really compliment anyone's appearance. And it's very obvious who you are when you see the red clouds."

The Uchiha nodded, "true, it does. I believe it should be more covert, definitely. However, as most in the organization aren't necessarily concerned with a confrontation, covert was obviously disregarded as being unnecessary." He paused, "and I'm sure they weren't designed for appearance sake."

"Or someone's cheap," she added with a smirk.

"Aa," he nodded, "our financial advisor does not allow for excess spending."

Sakura furrowed her brows. "Financial advisor? What sort of organization is Akatsuki?"

Itachi tilted his head and there was silence for a moment, "well…I'm afraid I can't really divulge into too much information on that point. I'm not even privy to everything concerning Akatsuki's intentions."

"You're not?" Akatsuki was definitely a strange organization. S-Ranked criminal in a group together wearing cloaks with red clouds on them and having polished nails was very unusual. They even had a person who limited the spending of the members.

He shook his head, "No. We're an organization of some of the most notorious criminals of our time. There isn't exactly a great amount of trust there. We also have past affiliations to different countries, some who have been enemies for countless generations."

"Oh," Sakura nodded. "They sound like very dangerous people. Itachi…why did you join a group like that?"

Itachi smiled sadly, "I'm one of those notorious criminals, Sakura-san."

Sakura dropped her gaze to the table, downcast. Even if she said something to deny it, that wouldn't change the truth. Itachi was a criminal. Why did it make her feel sad to admit that to herself? "You're right, Itachi," Sakura replied before lifting her gaze and offering him a small smile. "Where's Gregor with that tea?"

The Shinobi wanted to break this tension that suddenly appeared between the two of them, but Gregor, she noticed, had been gone for a while. She dropped her gaze back to the table and traced an imaginary Hidden Leaf symbol on the wood. Two mugs were then placed on the table and the delightful scent of the herbs caused Sakura to slowly lift her head and see Itachi sit down and take a sip of his tea.

"Even though I'm classified or 'titled' as a criminal, I will admit that you probably know me better than anyone else in the organization, as that's all they see me as."

Sakura glanced back down at her tea and took a slow sip, prolonging her response. Setting the cup back down, she met his onyx gaze. "I don't even _know_ how well I know you. It's not that comforting knowing the fact that I might only know you better than a bunch of criminals who couldn't care less."

Itachi shrugged, "I feel like I can be myself around you."

Sakura cocked her head to the side curiously. "Are you saying you don't act like yourself around everyone?"

"Aa," Itachi smiled slightly, "everyone but you."

Sakura smiled. "Really?" She felt herself blushing again and averted her attention to her tea, of which she proceeded to take a long sip.

She heard him exhale and lifted her gaze back to him as he took a sip of tea. Setting his mug on the table, he smiled and looked at her. "Hell yeah, Sakura-san."

Sakura laughed. Itachi always seemed to know the right thing to say to cheer her up. "You're very good with words, Itachi."

"Thank you," he nodded.

"You're welcome, Itachi," Sakura replied. She then remembered something else he said and smiled, "You said before that Sasuke-kun used to smile all the time. What about you?"

"I did," he replied simply.

Her smile widened warmly. "It sounds like you were both very happy."

Itachi nodded again in response, "we were."

There was silence between the two of them before Gregor reentered the house through the door.

"Sorry about that," he said, "had to feed the horses."

The man then prepared his own cup of tea and sat across from them. "Now then…what is it you need, my friend?"


	9. Sleeping Under a Tree

Vigil of Sorrows

Chapter 9

"Sleeping Under a Tree"

…..

"We went to Churitsu and met with the Leader," Itachi began. "He informed us that the only way we would be able to return to our own land is to determine and overcome a trial in each Yokusei and Kanashimi." He paused for moment then continued, "and we've come to you in the hope that you might know what the trial here might be."

"There _has_ actually been a recent development."

Sakura was starting to get a little impatient with the people around here not getting to the point. "Yes?"

She sensed Itachi's eyes on her and turned to him with a sweet smile. He merely sighed looked back to Gregor. Sakura smirked before doing the same.

"Well," Gregor continued, "in the largest settlement, due west of here, there has been an outbreak of a strange sickness. Word just reached us via courier this morning."

"Is that the town beside the dock near the border to Kanashimi?" Itachi asked.

"That is the place, yes," Gregor nodded.

"Do you know the symptoms of this illness?" Sakura inquired, her medic instincts kicking in.

"Hmm, not the specifics, unfortunately," he replied. "Just that it came on suddenly and without warning. I also understand that it is highly contagious, claiming nearly the entire population of the town. So far, it has not reached beyond but I suspect it might. It might be an air pathogen of some sort, or perhaps carried from one individual to the next, in which case," he sighed, "the courier may have brought it along with him into every single village he has visited so far."

Sakura thought over this information a moment before stating, "there's not much to go on, but that's a possibility. How long has the town had the disease? And how often does the courier deliver?"

"Overnight, it seems," the man replied gravely. "I don't know if it is fatal or how severe the symptoms might be but the suddenness alarms me as well as the rapidity in which it spreads." He shook his head, "the courier merely delivers as need be. Though lately it has been typical of him to arrive weekly."

That seemed to raise the possibility of it being passed from person to person, or even through the air. They couldn't protect themselves from it if it was airborne, but precautions should be made, in any case, to prevent the spreading of it. "I think you should send out a notice to everyone to remain indoors until further instructions are given. This won't help if it is airborne, but we don't even know if that is how it's spreading."

"Miss Sakura, that would certainly work if these were the sort of people to listen to a suggestion like that. However, as it were, I think accomplishing that order will prove much more difficult than you might expect," Gregor explained.

Sakura nodded. What was with these people? "I see. Then the only thing to do is create a cure, quickly, before it gets worse. To do that, I would actually need to know the symptoms and how to counteract it." Turning to the Uchiha, she asked, "What do you think, Itachi?"

He nodded in response, "I agree. We will probably have to go there ourselves and see what's going on. However, we will have to be cautious ourselves, as we may be exposed to the very thing we are trying to prevent."

Gregor nodded, "that is a fair point. I would suggest staying outside of the city and not partaking of any edible substance while there. It would be a problem if it is airborne but," he shrugged, "one can only hope."

"If it is spreading, "Itachi replied. "Then it is unavoidable that we encounter it at some point. May as well try and stop that from happening at all."

Gregor sighed, "Well, the only help I can offer you is to suggest that you seek out the city marshal, an insensible sort of man but nonetheless knowledgeable of his city. Also, I've heard of a herbologist who resides there, in a shack beside the dock. Perhaps he can offer you some help in identifying the various local plantation, as it may not be the same as what you are used to seeing."

Itachi sighed, "we should leave as soon as possible."

Sakura was about to reply when Gregor suddenly said, concern slightly evident in his voice, "If it's a full day's journey, you could stay here for the night if you like, or you may take me up on my earlier offer to borrow a pair of my finest horses."

After a moment, Itachi shook his head, "again, I thank you for the offer but I would simply prefer to walk."

"Wait a minute," Sakura began loudly, banging her fist on the table, "how far is the walk to the village?"

The other two occupants in the room looked at her. Gregor offered an understanding smile, "A day or so on foot, miss?"

Sakura rose an incredulous brow at Itachi. "We're going to walk a full day on foot?"

Itachi tilted his head, "we'll rest for a couple hours of course but, yes on foot is best. As we are both Shinobi, I expected you to be accustomed to this method of travel, Sakura-san."

The pinkette frowned. "Of course I am but that doesn't mean I jump with excitement at the prospect."

The Uchiha nodded, "there are few who would, I'm sure. However, my declaration stands: Perhaps I will get the chance to train you a little on the way."

'_He's going to train me? I've been looking forward to this.' _Sakura smiled excitedly, but instantly replaced it with a smirk and a shrug of her shoulders. "Well then, in that case, I suppose it'll be fine."

Itachi nodded then looked back to Gregor. "…are you sure?" the man asked.

"Thank you, yes," Itachi replied, offering him a small smile. "I appreciate the offer."

Gregor sighed and looked to Sakura. "Will you be alright, miss?"

Sakura grinned widely as she placed a hand on her hip. "Hell yeah!"

The Uchiha then directed his smile at her and Gregor nodded.

"Well then, I wish you both a safe journey and hope to see you again soon. Do come by and say goodbye before you leave for your own land."

Itachi nodded to the man, "Thank you. We definitely will. Before we leave however, I believe she has something to ask."

"I do?" Sakura looked at him in confusion.

"Yes, as I recall you were concerned about that stain there."

Sakura followed his gaze to the coffee stain still on her shirt and she pouted. "Yeah, I was. I guess I forgot."

"Hmm…perhaps I might have something that could remove that," Gregor offered. He lifted a finger before standing and rummaging through one of his cabinets. After a short while, he exclaimed triumphantly and turned, holding a jar containing a pale green liquid, "this will do the trick" The man held it out to her Sakura with a grin, "you may use that room behind you to clean that stain off. There is a faucet that you will have to pump, but you can simply wash it out there."

The Shinobi lifted a brow at this before she shrugged and slowly reached out to accept the strange liquid. "How do I use this?"

"Oh!" Gregor responded as he sat back down. "Forgive me, miss." He pointed to the cloth on the table as he demonstrated. "You will pour just a small amount over the stain, rub it into the fabric and let it sit for about five minutes before rinsing. The stain should come out with the formula."

Sakura sighed in relief. "Good. I was beginning to worry that I would instead have this weird green stuff on my shirt."

"I wouldn't do that to you, miss," Gregor said, clearly sincere.

She smiled gratefully at the man, "thank you, Gregor." She pointed to the other door in the room. "You said that room right there?"

He nodded, "I did, indeed."

"Alright, then." Sakura rose from her chair and walked toward the door. "I'll just be a few minutes, Itachi," she added, glancing at him, before opening it and stepping into the adjoining room.

"No worries, Sakura-san," Itachi said as she closed the door behind her.

Sakura looked around the bathroom with a slight frown. It was rather small in size and only had a toilet-like thing, a faucet and a mirror hanging on the wall above it. She sighed before proceeding to grab a piece of cloth beside the faucet and prying the lid off the jar. A strong, putrid scent came from the green liquid and she groaned.

"Ugh! Now I'm gonna smell like this all day." Her frown deepened along with a look of disgust as she remembered she had brought perfume with her. "Thank goodness I think ahead!" The young girl reached for her bag and was shocked only a moment when she realized it wasn't there.

She sighed again and quickly backtracked into the other room. She paused in her journey to the table only for a second, noticing she had interrupted a conversation, but simply continued to reach across Itachi and grab her bag. "Excuse me. I forgot something." She then pulled it towards her and smiled at her companion.

"No need to stop on my account. Carry on."

Itachi responded with a small smile. "What was it you forgot?"

Sakura laughed lightly before staring at him, seriousness in her expression. "My perfume."

"Oh! I apologize, miss," Gregor began, "I forgot to mention how foul that cleanser's scent is."

She waved it away. "That alright. I figured it out on my own."

The man nodded, "glad to hear it."

"Yep," Sakura agreed. She then shifted her eyes between the two of them and smiled. "I'll just go wash this stain off now."

Gregor nodded again while Itachi returned her smile, which made her smile widen. She then turned and hastily reentered the bathroom. Closing the door behind her, she leaned against it and felt her smile continue to widen.

The Shinobi shook her head with a determined look in her eyes. "Okay, first things first: I have to put that rancid green stuff on my shirt. Perfume will be my savior in all this." She then proceeded to pour the liquid onto the cloth and rubbed it onto the stain fiercely. Removing the material and placing it beside the sink, she slid to the floor and attempted to patiently wait for the necessary five minutes.

Her mind instantly drifted to a time when there was _actually_ a line at Ichiraku's and her team was waiting in line, patient as always…except for Naruto.

"_How many more people are there?" Naruto asked, jumping up in an attempt to look over the heads of the people ahead of them._

"_Twelve," Sasuke replied monotonously._

_Sakura smiled at him in admiration. "Sasuke-kun, you're so smart! I bet you didn't even have to count to know that!"_

_Naruto ceased his jumping and stared at Sasuke, his mouth agape in disbelief. "Twelve? Are you _serious_, Sasuke?"_

_Sasuke ignored Sakura's comment and turned to Naruto. "Did it sound like I wasn't, dobe?"_

_The hyperactive Shinobi narrowed his eyes. "Are you trying to challenge me, teme?" _

_Sakura quickly ran between the two of them before they started anything. "Look, Naruto! The line moved again."_

_Naruto instantly glanced at the crowd and grinned, forgetting his anger from before, and crossed his arms cockily. "I knew it wouldn't take much longer."_

"_No you didn't, Naruto!" Sakura growled at him. "You've been complaining this whole time!" _

"_But Sakura-chan!" Naruto whined._

_Sakura raised her fist to punch him, but Sasuke swiftly grabbed the blonde by his collar and dragged him in the direction of the ramen stand. _

"_Sasuke! Let go! I can walk by myself!"_

"_Are you coming, Sakura?" Sasuke asked, glancing over his shoulder at her as he released the struggling Naruto on one of the stools._

"_Y-yes, Sasuke-kun," Sakura replied with an excited grin._

Sakura sighed happily at the memory."What a wait that was. Right guys?" she asked, though her teammates weren't present. Lowering her emerald eyes to her shirt, she concluded that it had been five minutes and proceeded to push herself off the bathroom floor and pump the faucet until water streamed out of it. She lifted her red top under it and watched in amazement as the stain and cleanser instantly washed off. "Just like Gregor said. I suppose I have to thank him again."

Clasping her hand on the door handle, the pinkette suddenly remembered what she went out there for before. Picking her bag up from the floor, she began rummaging through it until her fingers wrapped around the familiar plastic bottle. Upon its withdrawal, Sakura pulled off the cap before spraying herself with the perfume.

She inhaled the sweet scent in satisfaction. "Oh, my favorite! Thank you, Jasmine Vanilla. Once again, you've saved me," she cooed, replacing the bottle in her bag and zipping it closed once again.

Returning her hand to the door, Sakura grinned and walked out of the bathroom triumphantly. She held up two fingers in the symbol of victory. Glancing down at her fingers, a sly smile appeared before she ventured toward Itachi. The girl lifted the two fingers and poked Itachi on the forehead with a wink. "I'm ready to go."

Itachi blinked in response before relaxing and smiling. "Aa, Sakura-san," he replied with a nod, before tilting his head slightly. "Were you successful?"

Sakura lowered her arm and smirked. "Hell yeah! Mission accomplished, Partner."

"Well then," the Uchiha began before rising to his feet. He turned his attention to Gregor with a nod, "I thank you again, for everything."

Gregor stood and approached Itachi with a hand extended. "A pleasure, as always. Don't forget your promise to say good bye before leaving."

Itachi accepted the hand, "I won't."

The man then turned to Sakura and offered her his hand as well, "and you, miss. I look forward to seeing you again, as well. It was wonderful meeting you."

"Yes, it was wonderful to meet you, too. Thank you, Gregor," Sakura said, accepting his hand as well. She leaned in closer and whispered to where only he could hear her, "and don't worry. I'll make _sure_ Itachi comes back."

Gregor smiled and patted her hand affectionately before releasing it, "I'm counting on you then, Miss Sakura."

Sakura smiled, "Miss Sakura. I like the sound of that."

The man chuckled, "glad to hear it."

She nodded before reaching up and pulling on the Uchiha's sleeve. "Itachi, let's go."

He nodded, "right behind you, Sakura-san."

"Like always." Sakura smirked, "Itachi-_kun_." She then waved a final goodbye to Gregor with a kind smile and walked out the door. As they started their journey out of the village, Sakura realized something.

The Shinobi snapped her fingers before looking at her partner. "Itachi, I bet this sickness is one of those tasks the Leader said we had to complete."

Itachi nodded, "Aa. I believe so too, Sakura-san."

Sakura grinned proudly. "I knew it. That means after this we're one step closer to going home. Won't it be wonderful being back again?"

"It will," he nodded again.

"The first thing I'm going to do when I get back," she continued, "is give Naruto a _big_ hug. Then I'll congratulate him for saving Gaara."

"I'm sure he will appreciate that," he replied.

"Of course he will. He's Naruto."

Itachi smiled, "Aa, that's true."

Sakura returned the smile. "What about you, Itachi?"

"Hmm," the Uchiha responded. "I will have a cup of jasmine tea."

She laughed and slapped his arm playfully. "That sounds like something you would do. I can just see it now." The pinkette pictured Itachi sitting in a quaint café, sipping his favorite tea, surrounded by people who probably didn't enjoy the simple pleasure as much as he did. "You really love tea, don't you?"

"I do," he nodded. "It's always been my beverage preference."

"That's nice. Knowing what you like over every other drink. What food has that position, if any?"

"Well," Itachi began. "I suppose, that would be a slice of vanilla cake."

Sakura laughed again. "I should've known. I already knew about your sweet tooth, after all."

"Aa, you did," he replied before tilting his head, "how about you, Sakura-san?"

"Ice cream!" she replied immediately. "My favorite is the one served at the Dumpling Café in Konoha."

"Oh?" Itachi smiled, "I used to enjoy that place as well."

Sakura's smile widened, "we have something in common."

Itachi nodded in agreement, "we do." He then sighed, "I've been to quite a few cafes during my travels but," he looked at her, "that place was always my favorite."

"Yeah, it's great," she nodded. "I wish Naruto liked that place too. Maybe then we could've gone there rather than Ichiraku's every time."

"Hmm," he stated. "You have a difficult time convincing your friends to accompany you there?"

"Pretty much," Sakura responded before she tilted her head curiously. She wouldn't call the Uchiha her _friend_ but, "would you like to go with me sometime?"

"Unfortunately, not the place in Konoha," Itachi responded. "However, perhaps we _could_ stop someplace similar." He met her gaze, "so long as they have jasmine tea, any place will do."

Sakura opened her mouth to ask why but quickly shut it as the answer came to her. Of course he wouldn't be able to visit the one in Konoha. Why didn't she notice sooner?

"_I'm one of those notorious criminals, Sakura-san."_

The Shinobi shifted her gaze ahead, noticing they had walked into a field. It was strange how she could have a casual conversation with him, knowing that he _was_ a criminal. Didn't she say she hated him?

Sakura glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, a slight smile forming. No. No matter how she felt about the Uchiha before, she didn't hate him. He was a fun person to talk to, after all. She was a little disappointed that he couldn't go to that café with her but she guessed he was much more than her. He had said it was his favorite.

She gingerly reached down and grasped Itachi's hand in hers, hoping to comfort him in some way. "That's alright. I think I'll get a jasmine tea as well, Itachi."

He met her gaze and smiled softly before she felt him gently tighten his hold on her hand. A silence ensued between them. Sakura simply observed how right he had been before. Her hand _was_ small, looking especially so within his hold.

Sakura glanced up at him again at the sudden sound of his voice. "It's a date then, Sakura-san."

She recognized he was attempting to lighten the mood and nodded, her smile growing. "Hell yeah. You know, I think it'll be my first."

Itachi laughed softly, "Aa, mine as well."

"I find that hard to believe."

"Why is that?" he asked, tilting his head.

"W-well," Sakura began, dropping her gaze sheepishly. "Isn't it obvious? You've always been a talented Shinobi and it's nice talking with you. You're also…" she paused. "Handsome."

"Hmm," Itachi responded. "Seems as if you really _do_ consider me beautiful. And it's still flattering."

Sakura lifted her eyes meet his, a smile forming. "Didn't I say I would personally make sure it wasn't the last time?"

"You did," Itachi nodded. "I just didn't expect it again so soon."

"Doesn't that make it even better, though? What's the enjoyment in knowing when everything will happen?" she asked.

"It certainly does, Sakura-san," Itachi replied sincerely. "There really isn't any enjoyment in that whatsoever." He sighed before redirecting his gaze to the night sky. "In any case, I was completely honest in what I said before." He glanced to her, "it really would be my first time."

Sakura nodded in agreement, "mine too. Oh, well. It doesn't really make a difference. We can just have some jasmine tea and another delightful conversation. Do you think vanilla cake should be added to that?"

Another smile formed as Itachi nodded, "oh definitely. Perhaps even some ice cream as well."

"Hell yeah! You can't say no to that. Cherry ice cream, without a doubt," Sakura replied excitedly.

"Is that your favorite flavor?" he asked.

"Definitely. It's the best flavor," she stated matter-of-factly.

"I won't argue with you on that account."

Sakura furrowed her brow curiously. "Really? I would've guessed it was jasmine. You seem to like it a lot."

"Ah, but we were speaking of ice cream, in which case I entirely agree with you," Itachi replied. "I do enjoy the jasmine tastes, but generally it's the fragrance I enjoy most. It's soothing."

"Oh, I see. I suppose I can agree to that. It has such a calming fragrance." Tapping her chin thoughtfully with her free hand, she mused, "the sense of smell is the most powerful thing for triggering memories. I think from now on, whenever I smell the scent of jasmine, I'll think of you."

Itachi smiled. "Aa," he again softly tightened his hold over her hand. "I might think of you too."

Once again, it was strange. Here she was, planning a tea date and saying she would think of him whenever she smelled jasmine, with the brother Sasuke wanted to kill. It was almost ironic. How would he react if he saw her now? What would she say? She honestly didn't know, but she didn't really mind either. The Shinobi liked spending time with Itachi.

Sakura was broken from her thoughts by the halting of Itachi's steps. "We should stop here," he said, looking to her.

She glanced around taking in their surroundings. There was a single tree not far from where they stood. Assuming that's where he meant for them stop, she replied, "okay. Come along then, snail." She then proceeded to tighten her grip on his hand and pull him along with her as she ran toward the tree.

The pinkette stopped abruptly once they were under the branches before dropping to the ground, pulling him down with her. Itachi looked to her with a small smile. "You're a rather demanding person, Sakura-san."

Sakura faked a pout. "It was the only way to make you move, Itachi-kun."

He tilted his head. "You could have just asked me."

She smiled and leaned beside him against the tree. "That takes all the fun out of it."

Itachi nodded, "Yes, I suppose it does."

Lifting her eyes to the mesmerizing sky, she was drawn to the thousands of twinkling stars. It was strange that, no matter where you are, stars will always remain unchanged. Whether she was looking up at the sky in Konoha or here, they would be the same. It was a tranquil thought.

Itachi sighed in contentment. "After a few hours of rest, if you'd like, we can begin your training."

Sakura yawned tiredly before she rested her head against his shoulder. "I'm looking forward to it. I've been wondering what type of teacher you are."

"The best kind, Sakura-san."

She smiled, "you sound so sure. I'll just have to confirm it myself. Feel free to use me as a reference in the future."

Itachi laughed softly beneath his breath, "I'll be sure to do that."

The Uchiha then slipped his bag off his shoulder before reaching over in an offer to take hers as well. Sakura hesitantly removed her hand from his and lifted her head. She took the bag off her shoulders and handed it to him. Itachi placed both on the ground beside him on his opposite side before he leaned back against the tree.

"You think about everything, don't you?" she asked, dropping her head onto his shoulder once more.

Itachi looked down at her and shrugged," someone has to, right?" A smile spread across his face and he offered his hand to her.

Sakura accepted it and smiled warmly at him. "You have a pretty smile, Itachi."

"Well," his onyx eyes held her gaze before he continued "you too, Sakura-san."

Sakura shook her head slowly. "No," she replied. "It's not even close compared to yours."

"Sakura-san," he began, "I won't endeavor that argument with you, as it might prove endless."

"You could just agree with me," she suggested playfully. "Or we can just call it a draw, if you would prefer."

He nodded, "a draw, then. Definitely."

Her smile widened, "that's what I thought." She yawned again and snuggled closer to him. "Itachi?"

"Hmm?"

She lifted her eyes to meet his. "I'm glad I got stuck here with you."

Itachi nodded before offering her another smile, "Aa, I don't think I would've preferred it any other way myself."

Sakura completely agreed. If they didn't end up in this strange land, then they probably wouldn't have met. She felt guilty for being grateful that he intercepted them during their rescue of Gaara, but she also had complete faith in Naruto. Honestly, she felt very happy here with Itachi and she wouldn't trade their time together for anything.

"That's good. I wouldn't want to be the only one who felt that way," Sakura replied.

The Uchiha shook his head, "no, that certainly wouldn't be pleasant."

"No," Sakura agreed. "Everything would've turned out differently if that was the case."

"That's true," he replied simply.

Sakura felt her eyelids growing heavy but she forced them to remain open, not wanting to drift off yet. "Is the future really determined by every single thing we do?" she asked drowsily.

She looked up at him and watched as he nodded, his eyes closed. "Aa, I believe it is."

"Then I don't regret anything," she stated. "If I didn't do what I did in the past, then I wouldn't be here. Right now."

Itachi looked down at her silently a moment before he smiled sadly, "I…don't regret anything either."

Sakura's eyes widened slightly in response to his statement. Saying she was surprised would've been an understatement but, she chose not to dwell on it any further. If that's how he felt then she wouldn't say anything about it. Her expression softening once more, she proceeded to smile and gently brush his bangs out of his face. "I'll remember you said that, Itachi."

He nodded, "I hope you do."

She scoffed teasingly, "it's not like I'm forgetful or anything."

"I wasn't implying that," the Uchiha defended. "Merely offering my acceptance of what you said."

Sakura shrugged, "I guess I'll take it."

Itachi nodded, lowering his eyes briefly and smiling before reclosing his eyes. "In any case, get some rest, Sakura-san. You'll most likely need it."

"You're just saying that because you want me to be quiet so _you_ can fall asleep," she countered.

"No," he shook his head. "If that was the case, I would have said it."

She laughed softly. "Oh. Well then, I think I will, but you should get some too."

"No worries," Itachi responded. "I plan to. So long as you," he glanced to her, "keep quiet."

Sakura narrowed her eyes slightly but nodded nonetheless. "I promise not to make a sound."

"Hmm, we'll see."

She nodded and repositioned herself more comfortably before closing her eyes. "Oh, and I'm sorry about before."

"What are you referring to?" Itachi inquired.

The pinkette yawned once more before replying quieting, "being so mean to you and calling you a bastard all the time."

She heard him sigh. "You didn't know. I don't fault you for that at all."

"But that's the point, isn't it? I made an assumption and based everything on that alone. I didn't attempt to know you first," she responded.

Sakura felt him shake his head, "Sakura-san, it wouldn't have done any good. I would not have allowed you to do that before?"

The girl smiled, "it's almost impossible to believe how much that changed in a single day."

He nodded, "Aa, it is." He paused briefly, "Sakura-san?"

She tilted her head up as she opened her eyes. "Yes?"

Itachi opened his eyes and looked down into hers. He smiled and after a moment, leaned slightly closer to her ear, "Sshh."

"Ohhh. I'll be quiet now," Sakura whispered. After thinking it over a moment, she asked, "Can I say one more thing?"

Itachi simply nodded.

Sakura smiled and lowered her head back on his shoulder. When she was comfortable again, she closed her eyes once more. "Good night, Itachi," she whispered.

Hearing a smile in his voice, he said, "goodnight, Sakura-san."


	10. Setting Goals

**A/N: **Thank you to all of you who have favorited/followed and reviewed this story. Don't forget about "Illusions of Serenity" and "Emulation of Apathy".

Vigil of Sorrows

Chapter 10

"Setting Goals"

…..

"_Alright," Kakashi began. "I want the three of you to sit over there and meditate. Try to clear your minds," he paused and glanced pointedly at Sasuke, "concentrate," he redirected his gaze to Naruto, "and continue doing this until I tell you to stop."_

_Team Seven was currently gathered in front of a single tree. The warm weather and slight breeze made it an excellent day of training for the three young Shinobi._

_Sakura smiled proudly. Kakashi didn't direct any of those instructions at her specifically, which meant he knew she would be able to master this technique easily. _

_Sasuke only narrowed his eyes at their sensei. Sakura turned and offered him a smile. She knew he could master it, too. He was Uchiha Sasuke, after all._

_Naruto, of course, questioned Kakashi's instructions. "Why do we have to do this, dattebayo?"_

_Kakashi grinned in response. "This technique will help you later when you learn how to chakra during a fight. By learning to concentrate during meditation you will also become more aware of your chakra network."_

"_So this is going to help us with chakra control?" Sasuke asked._

"_To an extent. You didn't think you could win a fight by climbing trees, did you?"_

"_Hn," Sasuke grunted._

"_What if we did?" _

_Kakashi stared at Naruto in disbelief. "You really did?"_

_Naruto nodded unreservedly, "yes, dattebayo! I figured it would come in handy during a fight. Plus, won't it give you an advantage to be able to climb a tree and lie in wait for an ambush?"_

_Sakura angrily punched Naruto to the ground. "Naruto! That's obviously not what Kakashi-sensei meant!" _

"_Sakura-chan."_

_She crossed her arms, "I don't want to hear it. You should've known better than to jump to that conclusion."_

_Naruto frowned and dropped his cerulean gaze to the dirt beside him._

_Kakashi smiled at the two of them. "Thank you, Sakura. I can handle it from here."_

_Sakura smirked, "happy to help."_

"_And Naruto," Kakashi added, "you're right. Having the ability to climb trees _can _give you the upper hand in a battle. My point was to not count on that for everything."_

_Naruto lifted his head up happily, a large grin spread across his face. "Then I was right! Dattebayo! I already knew a Shinobi had to be skilled as well as resourceful."_

_Sasuke shook his head at the blonde before walking towards him and pulling him to his feet. "They also have to be smart, dobe."_

_The Jinchuuriki's smile widened. "Then I am the perfect ninja! Nothing stands in my way to becoming Hokage now!"_

"_You're only twelve, Naruto. You can't possibly be the Hokage. That's too young. The youngest Hokage in our history was the Fourth and he was twenty-five," Sakura stated matter-of-factly._

_Naruto offered her a thumbs-up and winked. "I'm going to be better than any of the Hokages, even the Fourth! When I'm inaugurated, I'll be the youngest one in the history of the Leaf, dattebayo!"_

"_It's good to have a dream, Naruto. I know they're what keep you going and motivate you but couldn't you have gone with something more reasonable?" Sakura questioned._

"_If you have a dream that makes you wake up every day with the goal to achieve it," Sasuke began bitterly. "Then why would you change it for something else?"_

_Sakura's eyes widened in surprise. Why would Sasuke say that to her? She didn't offend him, right? If she had, it was completely unintentional. "I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun. I didn't mean to offend you."_

"_Hn."_

"_Hey, teme! Sakura-chan just apologized. Don't you have something to say?" Naruto demanded._

_Sasuke turned to him with a smirk. "Is that a challenge, dobe?"_

_Naruto glared at him. "It wasn't meant as one but if you don't forgive Sakura-chan it will be."_

"_Why should I forgive her? She was being annoying…as usual," Sasuke replied._

_Sakura lowered her teal eyes sadly. Sasuke always said she was just a nuisance to him. If only she hadn't offended him before._

"_Sasuke!" Naruto shouted._

_Kakashi suddenly patted Naruto and Sasuke on the head with a wide grin. "Well, I'm glad to see you're all motivated for today's lesson. Why don't you get started now?"_

_Naruto and Sasuke glared at each other a final time before they sat in the grass and closed their eyes, trying to focus on their meditating. _

"_You too, Sakura." _

_Sakura tilted her head to him and nodded then proceeded to follow suit. _

The pink-haired kunoichi slowly opened her eyes. The morning sunlight greeted her as it streamed in through the leaves of the tree. She smiled. Mornings were always her favorite time of day. It felt like something was missing but she didn't know what. Maybe it wasn't that important.

Sakura yawned before pushing herself off the ground. She swung her arms back and forth at her sides as she looked out at the horizon. Bright hues of purple and blue colored the sky and it was certainly a sight to behold. "It really is beautiful here," Sakura mused aloud. A light breeze blew through her short hair and she brushed the bangs aside.

Realization suddenly dawned on her and she quickly spun around. Itachi was gone. Sakura closed her eyes sadly a moment before they opened angrily and formed a glare. "He left without me. I can't believe I trusted that bastard. He was acting so sweet before but that was obviously a trick. Bastard."

"Good morning, Sakura-san."

'_Itachi? That was his voice, I'm sure of it. So he was still here?' _Sakura turned to her left and saw the Uchiha sitting beside a small fire. She sighed in relief and offered him a smile, "good morning, Itachi."

Itachi lowered his eyes to the fire, "I have some tea here for you."

"What kind of tea?" Sakura asked as she made her way over to him.

He shrugged, "the kind I purchased in Churitsu. A simple blend, but still good."

Sakura sat beside him before responding, "Alright. I trust your judgment."

After a moment, Itachi tilted his head, "I must say, Sakura-san, I've certainly missed hearing you call me a _bastard_." He smiled before picking up the kettle and pouring tea into a cup.

Her eyes widened in surprise, "you heard me?"

"Aa," he nodded.

"Then why didn't you say anything before? You just let me think you had left."

"I was waiting to see if you would notice I was still here," Itachi replied.

Sakura glared at him before grabbing her cup from him. "I'm beginning to wonder if you find amusement in my distress."

Itachi smiled. "Why would I just decide to leave you here like that, Sakura-san? I do believe you know me better than that."

She shrugged, "I don't know. I guess I didn't really think about it. It was the first thing that popped into my head."

"Well," he replied. "I'm not going anywhere."

Sakura smiled gratefully at him and nodded. "Thank you, Itachi. I'm sorry if I offended you before," she said, thinking back to the memory that had replayed in her dreams.

Itachi shook his head, "no need for that, Sakura-san. No offense taken."

She laughed, "it's strange how different you and Sasuke-kun are."

The Uchiha tilted his head. "Different? How so?"

"Well, it sometimes seems like you're complete opposites. If I said that to Sasuke-kun he would usually get mad and call me annoying. On the other hand, you're not offended at all," Sakura explained.

"I see," Itachi replied before sighing. "We're different people, Sakura-san. Despite being brothers, he still has own personality. Besides," he looked to her, "when he doesn't understand someone it annoys him, he most likely did not mean to offend you."

"Really?" she asked, her smile returning. "Then I suppose it was pointless to get so upset about it every time."

Itachi's smile widened and he looked to her, "I can picture that."

Sakura nodded, "also, the world would be boring if people didn't have their own personalities."

"Aa, I completely agree with you," Itachi responded.

"Good. I'm glad we're in agreement" Sakura took a sip of her tea and nodded her approval of the taste. "You were right about the tea."

"Glad to hear it," he replied before turning his attention to the stream. "When you've finished we'll begin your training."

Sakura's eyes lit up happily as she quickly downed the rest of her drink, burning her mouth in the process. "Oww. Why is it so hot?" she demanded, glaring angrily at the empty cup.

She heard Itachi sigh, "You shouldn't drink so fast."

The girl frowned slightly. "I was excited and wanted to finish quickly."

"You're not a very patient person," Itachi smiled, "are you?"

Sakura considered his comment a moment before shrugging. "I suppose not but," she cast him a wink, "that's why you're here, isn't it?"

Itachi titled his head before nodding, "I suppose so."

Sakura smiled then glanced around the field. "So…training?"

He again nodded before standing, "yes, I suppose we may as well get started now." The Uchiha offered a hand to her.

The pinkette smiled slyly and reached up to grab his hand. Rather than let him pull her up, she pulled him down and stood up herself, laughing.

"And why, may I ask, did you feel the need to do that?"

"It's fun, Itachi. Even _you_ have to admit it. But since you're obviously upset about it," Sakura smiled down at him and offered her own hand to him.

The Uchiha didn't move. "Hmm," he mused. "Think you can manage?"

Sakura narrowed her eyes before grabbing his hand. She noticed him smirking slightly and simply mirrored it. "Are you ready?"

Itachi nodded, "definitely."

She planted her feet in the ground and started to pull his arm but she felt his hold abruptly remove itself from hers. The Shinobi lost her balance and stumbled backwards before landing gracelessly in the grass.

Itachi stood then and walked toward her. He tilted his head before offering his hand to her once more. "Shall we try this again, Sakura-san?"

Sakura crossed her arms and turned her head away from him. "You did that on purpose."

He nodded, "Aa, so did you."

"Yes but," Sakura tilted her head toward him with a frown, "I was just doing it for fun and _you_ did it to get back at me."

Itachi shrugged, "what I did was also fun and," he smiled, "at least _I _had a reason."

Sakura rose to her feet. "It wasn't fun for me and what makes you think I _didn't_ have a reason? Hmm?"

"What was your reason?" he asked simply.

She scoffed before stalking past him into an open expanse of field. She liked the Uchiha well enough but he could just get on her nerves sometimes. And she was in such a good mood, too. Maybe she could let it go…just this once. Why should she let his childish behavior ruin the rest of her morning? The Uchiha was lucky. If she was feeling any differently she wouldn't talk to him for the rest of the day, maybe longer.

"Sakura-san," Itachi called.

Sakura faced him with a happy grin, "yes, Itachi?"

He approached her before saying, "it was not my intention to offend you."

She patted his shoulder forgivingly. "That's alright. I've decided to let it go…this time."

Itachi smiled, "I'll be more wary in the future, then."

"Good. Keep that in mind and don't let it happen again," she warned.

"Well," the Uchiha began. "Only so long as you agree to accept offered courtesies more appropriately."

Sakura frowned slightly, "do I have to?"

Itachi's features appeared to soften, become gentler, as his smile widened, "just be prepared to accept the consequences if you don't."

"Okay, Itachi," Sakura smiled, "I promise."

He nodded before glancing about the field and returning his gaze to hers. "Ready?"

Sakura pounded her fist against her palm, "Hell yeah!"

Itachi turned then and walked a few feet away before stopping and turning his face to her once more, "who have you previously trained under?"

The pinkette placed her hands on her hips proudly before replying, "Kakashi-sensei for about a year then Tsunade, one of the three Legendary Sannin _and_ the Fifth Hokage, for about three years." She was anxious to see his reaction to _that_. _'Didn't see that one coming did you, Itachi?'_

"That's really impressive, Sakura-san," he stated sincerely.

"Thank you. It is, isn't it?" she replied smugly.

Itachi nodded. "As I said," he answered before tilting his head. "Now then, all you know are the basics of Taijutsu, right?"

Sakura arched a brow. '_He certainly didn't mean anything by that, right?'_ "What do you mean _all I know_?"

Itachi didn't respond for a moment. "You told me yourself that this was the case. Am I wrong?"

"In a way, yes," Sakura began. "Concerning Taijutsu, I only know the basics, but I know more than just that. I am actually quite skilled with chakra control. I was the best on my team."

The Uchiha smiled, "that's wonderful, Sakura-san, really. However, as we are unable to use our chakra here, I'm afraid we cannot rely on its help at all." He paused, "however, this condition actually aids in the training you will be doing. Where Taijutsu is concerned it is always best not to rely on your chakra while training, as doing so will cause you to neglect the natural prowess your body contains. Perfecting these abilities without the aid of chakra will only make you the more capable when you experience its return and find all of your work enhanced."

He smiled, "and, as a medical Shinobi, you already know all of the pressure locations and vulnerable points of the body, increasing your potential at mastering the art."

She wondered if he noticed how many times he complimented her. She smiled, "then I am the perfect pupil, Master Uchiha."

"Yes," he nodded, "perhaps you are." He motioned for her to approach, "let's first see what you are already able to do."

Sakura followed his instruction and stopped in front of him. "What do you want me to do?"

"Well," Itachi began. "Start attacking me with what you know. I need to analyze your capabilities."

"Alright, then," Sakura replied before cracking her knuckles. "Don't cry if I hurt you."

Itachi sighed in response then nodded, "I will try my best."

Sakura grinned and drew back her fist. With as much force as she could, she thrust it forward toward the Uchiha's face. He easily blocked her wrist. "So obvious, Sakura-san."

"Oh, am I?" she asked, directing another punch at his face, hoping to distract him from the leg she lifted to kick his side. However, Itachi seemed to notice her movement as he grabbed her ankle, stopping her kick, and dodged her fist.

"Aa," he nodded with a smile as he released his holds and stepped back. "Rather than focusing on the force behind your movements, look to your balance and aversion techniques."

Itachi tilted his head, "being that your stature is so small, you will undoubtedly find yourself coming across bigger opponents. However, if your form is executed correctly, size will no longer be a factor. What I will be teaching you involves using your enemy's own power against them."

His smile widened, "you will be acting in much the same way I did earlier, when you tried to lift me. All I had to do was let go."

"Are you trying to tell me I could even beat you, without using a lot of effort?" Sakura asked, ideas popping into her head. It was ironic. When they first arrived here, she decided against fighting the Uchiha because she thought he could easily beat her. She was excited to see her progress in that area.

"Perhaps," Itachi nodded simply. "You certainly have potential."

Sakura smiled, pleased with his answer. "I look forward to reaching my full potential then."

Itachi returned her smile, "that aspiration is worthy of fulfillment, especially for a Shinobi. We all have our unique ambitions that we strive to achieve. But," he shook his head. "I digress."

She cocked her head thoughtfully, remembering what their introductions were the day they became Team Seven.

"_And my dream is to become greater than the Hokages! I'm going to make all the villagers recognize my existence."_

"_Also, I have an ambition that I have no intention to leave as just a dream. The revival of my clan, and to…kill a certain man." _

Naruto and Sasuke had their own ambitions they wanted to fulfill and they had kept the same one for several years. _'What do I want to do?'_ She thought for a moment then the obvious answer came to her. "I want to become a great medical Shinobi and protect my friends!" she voiced aloud.

"That, is a far greater ambition."

Sakura glanced at Itachi, realizing she had proclaimed that out loud, but he was smiling at her and she simply returned it. "Greater than what ambition?" For a second, she considered that he had read her mind but she instantly waved it away. That was impossible. No one could do that…right?

Itachi softly sighed after a short moment, "than strengthening yourself for the mere sake of gaining power; reaching your full potential, for your personal satisfaction alone."

"That's a selfish goal. I can't imagine anyone would be happy with that, even if it was for themselves. If you do everything for yourself alone, then won't you just be left with nothing in the end?" Sakura asked.

"Aa," Itachi nodded. "And that feeling of nothingness is undoubtedly the worst a person can feel."

Sakura nodded then took a moment to consider before asking, "Itachi, would you rather do the right thing if it means being looked upon with hate and fear, or the wrong thing if it means being blindly accepted with trust and love."

Honestly, she had no idea how _she_ would answer that question. Her automatic answer would be to do the right thing, but could she spend the rest of her life hated by everyone? On the other hand, doing the wrong thing would give her love and trust she would always welcome, but it would only be an illusion to them. Would she be able to live with _that_?

She didn't know which was worse: fake love or being forever without it.

"One should always do the right thing," he responded gently. "No matter the cost."

"What if there are more casualties from doing so than doing the wrong thing? For instance, if you're at war and an ultimatum is offered. To either surrender and send out your leader to be executed, or to continue fighting until every person is killed."

"I certainly hope you will not be faced with that sort of decision," Itachi stated sincerely. "Your generation is fortunate to be free of war. However, considering your scenario," he smiled and tilted his head. "You imply that the wrong choice would be the execution of said leader. However, would it not prove to be the right one, in the end? The burden would fall to that individual, and their single sacrifice would result in the continued lives of many others. It is often the responsibility of a great leader, the Fourth Hokage of Konoha is an example of this. Do you consider his actions wrong?"

Sakura shook her head. "No. They were very noble, in fact. However, even though he protected the village, it left us without our powerful leader."

"Ah," Itachi extended his index finger to explain. "But a leader must also trust in those serving beneath him, that they will continue to thrive after his departure."

"Okay," Sakura nodded in agreement. "That makes sense. What would happen if he couldn't? Because they're either corrupt or too weak to thrive without him."

Itachi sighed as he shifted his onyx gaze about the field. "Even so, if he chose to remain alive, their lives would be potentially at risk. It would indicate that their leader was not such a great one, after all."

"So a good leader is supposed to put the protection of his village and people over anything else, even if it costs him his own life?"

"Aa," he nodded.

'_Naruto,' _she silently whispered to him with a smile. _'You'll be a great leader someday. I'm sorry I ever doubted you.'_ He definitely put the lives of others before his own. He cared about people, especially the friendships he made with them. As Itachi just explained, those were the makings of a leader.

Sakura felt Itachi grab her wrist and lift it in front of his face. "Now then, punch me."

She blinked several times. "Why?"

Itachi tilted his head, "I'm going to show you how to use as little strength as possible when facing an offensive attack."

Sakura looked from her fist to him and back to her fist, understanding what he meant. "Oh. How hard should I punch?"

He shrugged before letting go of her wrist, "not hard. This'll just be a demonstration so come at me slowly."

"Alright," the girl nodded before pulling her arm back once more. She slowly jabbed it toward his face.

She watched as Itachi side-stepped and grabbed her arm, pulling it forward as his other arm was lifted to the base of her neck. He held her a moment longer before releasing her, "understanding how to throw someone off balance is helpful as well."

"Like pushing them on the ground?" Sakura half-joked.

Itachi smiled," that's one way of doing it. However," he shook his head. "Not nearly as effective in regard to conserving energy."

"Oh," Sakura frowned. "Well, imagine that. What are more effective ways then?"

Itachi tilted his head slightly. "Do you know where the body's center of balance lies?"

Thinking back on her reading and studying of the human body, she replied, "the sternum."

"Aa," Itachi nodded with a smile. "If you have someone rushing toward you, steady your own balance before delivering a quick thrust on the chest there, that will be more successful than trying to sweep their legs." He paused, "I want you to focus on both balancing and pressure points, utilizing your knowledge and preparing yourself to face a situation in which you can use a person's own momentum against them."

"I don't think I've ever used a sweep before so I wouldn't know the difference. I understand your orders though, Itachi," Sakura replied with a smile.

"Well," he nodded. "Then let's get started, shall we?" He then indicated his own eyes, "Another important thing to remember is to keep your attention focused here. The eyes are the best way of predicting an attacker's movements."

Sakura lifted her teal eyes and met his gaze. After a moment, she smirked, "what if I don't like their eyes?"

The Uchiha was a silent a moment before musing thoughtfully, "Hmm, would you rather risk losing a battle for something like that?"

She giggled in response. "I'm just kidding. I wouldn't lose because I was prejudiced against something like that. Even if I was, it wouldn't affect me if I was fighting _you_."

"Because of my genjutsu abilities?" Itachi asked.

"That's not what I meant, but I suppose that's true, too," she replied.

Itachi tilted his head curiously. "What then, did you mean, Sakura-san?"

"If I was up against an opponent and I lost because I didn't like their eyes, then it would be different if I fought you because I," she paused before offering him a smile, "like your eyes, Itachi."

He returned her smile, "It's not necessarily to lose your focus in that regard either, Sakura-san. You would lose against me if you found yourself too captured by something like that."

Sakura smirked and flipped the hair out of her face. "You don't have to worry about that, either. I wouldn't let that happen."

"Aa," Itachi nodded, "as I doubt you will ever have to fight me seriously."

"I'm glad. I would never want to."

The Uchiha smiled, "neither would I." He tilted his head, "I would most likely lose."

Sakura stared at him doubtfully a moment before shaking her head. "No, you wouldn't. You would definitely win."

Itachi shook his head. "No," he said, taking a step towards her, "because," he extended two fingers and gently tapped them against her forehead, his eyes lowering to meet hers. "I just don't think I could ever bring myself to harm you."

Sakura's eyes widened momentarily before she processed what he'd said and smiled up at him. "I'm sorry. I didn't understand what you meant but," she mimicked his movement and poked two fingers to his forehead. "I don't think it would feel like a victory if I won that way."

He returned her smile before lowering his hand. "Then I suppose, it would be best if we simply avoided the situation altogether."

"I agree," Sakura nodded, dropping her hand as well only to firmly grasp his. "Promise? I don't think I could hurt you either."

Itachi smiled. "Aa," he nodded. "I promise." He then gently tightened his hold on her hand before he released it and stepped back. "Now then, let's commence your training."

She grinned and cracked her knuckles once more. "I'm ready."

The Uchiha again nodded then moved to stand beside her, "let's first focus on the basics of the technique I'll be teaching you. When fighting, keep your muscles relaxed until the moment of contact. Then, train them to automatically supply just the right amount of force to resist the impact. Your body will know how to provide the correct amount of resistance."

He paused and then indicated her fist, "when punching, rather than exerting the muscle force from your arm alone, let your entire body guide your fist. Done appropriately, you will not even feel the impact on your arms, shoulders or back-you will feel it in the soles of your feet, as the force is transferred back and forth against the ground."

He then indicated her leg, "as far as countering kicks, it is a common misconception amongst Shinobi that kicks are far more formidable than punches, because they are believed to be more powerful. In actuality, among the four categories of attacks-hand strikes, kicks, felling, and grips-kicks are technically the easiest to counter. The most effective way is to gently lean your body the moment the kick is executed against you then quickly moving forward to counter-strike before your opponent can retract their kicking leg. Their equilibrium will already be off, making your task easier."

Itachi met her gaze, "you have to find the perfect balance between calming your body and releasing a sudden explosion of power. It's about flexibility, elegance, internal power, stamina, and mental sharpness. The sudden shift between the two extremes is key; rather than powering up an attack, allow the action to emulate your breathing, the change from contraction to release."

The Uchiha paused before continuing. "In essence, your opponent will supply the power by running into your fist or whichever action you choose to take, while you merely supply a conduit between your fist and the unyielding ground. This fighting method is about utter relaxation followed by complete wakefulness. Exhale and loosen your muscles, then inhale and make them firm. Don't focus on any singular point in your body rather, try and think about as little as possible. Perfect concentration involves emptying your mind."

As Itachi went through his explanation, Sakura remained silent and listened intently, registering all the information. It was a very promising technique and also seemed like the perfect one for her considering her small build. It seemed like the training she had undergone would be quite helpful with this particular fighting style, as well as her knowledge of the human body.

Sakura nodded enthusiastically. "This is going to be fun. Where did you learn this style of fighting?"

Itachi shrugged, "I primarily had to train myself. I never really had a Sensei or anything to teach me."

Her eyes widened with disbelief a moment before she closed them, a playful smile forming, "I almost forgot. You're a prodigy."

"Prodigy or not, it took a lot of time. No one is an exception from having to work hard to gain prominent ability, which I'm sure you will," Itachi replied.

Sakura opened her eyes to his smiling face. She nodded once more, "understood. It requires a lot of hard work and dedication. So," she stretched her arms over her head, "when do we start?"

"We will begin now," Itachi responded with a nod. He then looked out at the field. "Inhale and relax both your mind and body, exhale and allow your internal and natural energy to release through your focal attack points, such as your fist. Practice this simple process first and allow yourself to grow accustomed to doing it subconsciously."

"So…I'm basically breathing to relax myself?" Sakura inquired.

Itachi nodded, "Partly, yes, but when you exhale, force your energy to abruptly awaken."

Sakura nodded before proceeding to drop into a sitting position in the grass. "Can I do this sitting down?"

He sighed as he knelt down beside her. "It's not the most effective way, as you will not be fighting many opponents in this manner. Your muscles are all in a constant state of relaxation while sitting and so it defeats the entire purpose of the exercise."

The pinkette's eyes widened in realization before she pushed herself off the ground, "I get it now! Good job, Sensei."

The Uchiha rose to stand beside her, "this does bring up a good point though. Where you sat, you undoubtedly felt your body assume a state of stillness. When you stood, your body felt tense, correct? It automatically applied the needed strain to lift you."

Sakura cocked her head thoughtfully. "And that's what I'm trying to make myself do? Automatically apply the proper balance of calmness and force through my breathing."

Itachi nodded. "Aa," he responded with a small smile. "That is exactly right, Sakura-san."

"Thank you, Itachi," she grinned. "I think I can do it now."

"No thanks needed." He then turned and focused his attention forward. "Now then, inhale," he demonstrated. He then lifted his hand and thrust it forward, breathing out as he did so, "exhale and envision the attack."

Upon lowering his arm, he looked to Sakura out of the corner of his eye, "your turn."

"Perfect," Sakura replied before turning and relaxing her stance. She closed her eyes and breathed in slowly, releasing it with added exertion. She repeated this several times, her mind clearing as she focused more on her breathing. The Shinobi calmly opened her eyes as she breathed in once more before raising her arm and imagining an invisible opponent. She exhaled as she jabbed her hand onto the target's chest.

Sakura then shifted back into her loose stance before smiling up at Itachi. "Bull's-eye!"

Itachi blinked, seemingly surprised by her actions. He released a heavy breath before directing his eyes to the distant horizon. "Well done, Sakura-san," he stated simply.

"Thank you. I thought I did well myself," Sakura replied before glancing worriedly at Itachi. She reached up and tugged on his sleeve, "Are you alright?"

After a moment, Itachi shifted his eyes to her and responded with a small smile, "Aa."

Sakura furrowed her brows questioningly. "It didn't seem like it."

"Oh?" the Uchiha asked, tilting his head slightly.

"Yes," Sakura replied matter-of-factly.

There was a brief silence before Itachi sighed softly and shook his head, returning his gaze to the girl. "In any case, I'm fine now. I was just…thinking."

He then turned and Sakura looked over his shoulder to see he was looking in the direction of the tree they had camped under. "Let's have some breakfast and then continue our journey. You can train some more along the way."

Sakura nodded, "sounds good to me. You know, I think I found out what type of teacher you are."

Itachi glanced back at her, "have you?"

"Yes," she replied with a grin. "You're the cool and relaxing kind. Also, very patient."

Itachi tilted his head slightly as he returned her smile. "And I'm sure you will be one of my finest students."

"Do you really think so?" Sakura asked, her smile widening with excitement.

"Aa," he replied, "I do."

"Hmm," Sakura responded. She then tapped his shoulder.

"Yes?" the Uchiha asked, looking to her questioningly.

"I think I confirmed it with today's lesson, Itachi."

His expression remained unchanged, "what exactly is it that you confirmed?"

Sakura paused a moment before replying. She always seemed to end up explaining what she meant to him. Did he just not understand or was she, perhaps, not clear enough in her explanations? She decided to think back on it later and simply offered him another smile, "that you're the best kind of teacher."

Itachi's appearance softened in response. He smiled gratefully at her, "I've certainly missed hearing it."

"You have? Very well," Sakura stated, placing her hand resolutely upon his shoulder. "Whenever we train, I shall say it so much that you'll eventually grow tired of hearing it."

Itachi laughed softy, "We'll see."

Sakura smirked. "And," she decided to add then, "I think I'm going to try making you laugh more."

He nodded, "I have no doubt of your success."

"Don't make it too easy, though."

"No worries," Itachi nodded again. "I don't plan to."

"That's good to know," Sakura responded happily before her stomach suddenly growled loudly. "What was that you said about breakfast?"

Itachi tilted his head before turning and taking a step in the direction of the tree, "come along then, Sakura-san."

She nodded and trudged behind him, her arms wrapped tightly around her stomach. "Can you hurry up, snail? I doubt I'm the only one who's hungry here."

After a moment, Itachi quickened his steps, "acknowledged."

"Thank you. That's much better."

"Hmm," Itachi replied softly.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "What are we going to eat anyway?"

"Well," Itachi replied. "We have some crackers and dried fruit." He shrugged, "not much but enough to get by."

The pinkette groaned, "That's what they always say. Then guess what? Someone dies."

Itachi looked at her, his brows creased, "that's a rather dramatic way of putting it, don't you think?"

She shrugged in response, "maybe, but it's still not that much. Just picture this: we eat some for breakfast today. Let's say we _only_ eat breakfast, then with this sickness going around, we can't trust any of the food we find from now on to be edible. That only leaves us with the few packages of crackers and dried fruit that we have. My main point is what do we do when we eat all of it?"

He sighed, "If it comes down to us being at risk of starvation, we will simply return to Churitsu to purchase more."

"Oh," she replied. "That's a very smart idea."

Itachi nodded before smirking gently, "a stroke of genius, I'd say."

"Okay, Itachi. What do you want to be referred to as? A prodigy or a genius? I'm not letting you have both," Sakura stated with a mirroring smirk.

Itachi stopped walking and looked to her. With complete sincerity, he replied, "neither, actually."

Sakura halted in her steps beside him before smiling. "Alright, then. From now on, you're just Itachi to me."

The Uchiha smiled down at her, "I wouldn't prefer anything else."

The girl nodded before venturing toward their camp set-up. "Itachi, come along. Don't waste time standing around. I'm not going to eat without you," she called over her shoulder.

Itachi nodded as he proceeded to walk there as well, "Your consideration is greatly appreciated, Sakura-san."

He stopped and knelt down beside the small fire before lifting the kettle and looking up at her, "care for some more tea?"

Sakura shook her head at him but smiled nonetheless, "I would love some, Itachi."


	11. Surrounded By Madness

**A/N: **Thank you to all my reviewers. I really appreciate your feedback and hope you will continue to do so with future chapters. Don't forget to read ** .Rose's** and **Slytherstein's** stories as well.

Vigil of Sorrows

Chapter 11

"Surrounded By Madness"

…..

A village came into view. It was beside a body of water and there was a dock extending across it. Sakura deduced that this village traded by boat, though probably not with the one her partner and she had just left. That town was completely surrounded by land. _'Perhaps they trade with Churitsu…or even Kanashimi._'

The Shinobi shivered at the memories of the horrors she had witnessed in that place. In an attempt to push these thoughts away she glanced at the beautiful landscape around her. The colors remained unchanged from the day before and the climate continued to warm her.

Sakura finally rested her eyes on the Uchiha and felt a smile instantly form, all of the dark recollections diminished and replaced with drastically lighter ones.

They entered the village and Sakura immediately noticed the ragged appearance of all the citizens. They lined the streets, hunched against the buildings in obvious pain and clutching their stomachs. As they passed by one of the villagers, she lifted agonized eyes to Sakura and the pinkette felt a wave of sympathy wash over her. The woman had a horrible red rash on her arm that she continued to rub at.

"I suggest we try there first, Sakura-san," Itachi said and Sakura turned back to him as he indicated an inn ahead of them. "And see if anyone can direct us to the city marshal."

"Alright," she nodded. "Do you know anyone here or did you only go to that last town?"

Itachi shook his head, "no, I don't really know anyone here. However, this was the first place I came to upon arrival." He then walked past toward her and toward the inn. "I figured there might be someone at the tavern who we might be able to acquire some information from."

Sakura nodded again, her mind wandering once more. _'This was the first place Itachi came to after I ran away, huh?'_ She shook her head at the memory of her own foolishness. She had run to escape him because she didn't want to travel with him and couldn't win in a fight against him. Even when her training was completed, she doubted she could ever surpass the Uchiha. He was simply too good for anyone to beat.

'_I wonder how things would've turned out if I _had_ gone with him before.'_ Sakura giggled at the impossible thought and entered the inn behind Itachi. _That doesn't matter though. I can't change the past, but like I said before, I'm glad how the present has turned out. Everything has happened for a reason and I shouldn't argue with it.'_

The peaceful crackle of flames broke her from her reverie and she smiled, looking around the establishment. It was a rather quaint inn and it had the scent of wine and…some type of tree. _'Is it hickory?'_ Sakura shrugged in response and turned her attention to the bar, where a man was cleaning a goblet, despite the signs that he was plagued with the same disease as the others.

"Sir, I need you to answer some questions for me," Itachi stated.

The man looked at him a moment before shaking his head and dropping his gaze back to the goblet in his hands. "You return and find the end, you return to the end."

Sakura offered the man a warm smile and placed her hand lightly on his shoulder. "It's not the end. You shouldn't lose hope."

"Sakura-san," Itachi warned, taking her wrist and removing her hand from the man. "It is not wise to touch him. We still don't know how this illness is spread."

Realization dawned on her before she narrowed her eyes and punched Itachi's arm. "Why didn't you remind me sooner?"

Itachi released his hold on her wrist, "I did not see until after you had already done it." He smiled slightly as he looked down at her, "your movements remain as unpredictable as always."

"Really?" Sakura crossed her arms with a smirk, "because you called me predictable during our training this morning."

"Aa," Itachi shrugged. "I did. Correction, you are often unpredictable."

"Correct yourself as much as you want. Do you want me to warn you before I do something from now on?" Sakura replied.

"I hardly think that's necessary, Sakura-san." The Uchiha titled his head in amusement, "I only suggest that you pay special attention to actions that might potentially place you in a compromising situation."

Sakura sighed, "but I didn't even really think about it. It's more like an impulse."

Itachi smiled, "Well then, perhaps you should work on your impulsiveness."

She stared at him in confusion. "How am I supposed to do that?"

Itachi shook his head, "you will have to figure that out on your own, I'm afraid." He then turned back to the bartender and Sakura took the opportunity to stick her tongue out at him before looking to the man as well with a sweet smile.

Itachi leaned slightly closer to the man. "I need to speak with this town's marshal. Will you direct me to him?"

The bartender glanced at Itachi. "Nothing can be done," he shook his head. "No one will come. The end is at hand and no one is here."

Sakura felt sorry for the man. Did everyone in that place feel the same way? "You're not alone. We came to help. Both of us are going to find out what's wrong and fix it. That's why we need to find the town marshal," Sakura stated urgently.

The man grinned widely at her in response before exclaiming, "You! You are here to help?!" He then began laughing wholeheartedly. "Sweet miss, you have come to save us? Anything I can do for you," he eagerly nodded, "just let me know." He lifted a hand to his chin, "you asked about the marshal. You will find him at the top of the hill, the one overlooking the well. It has a large red door. Knock four times and he will let you enter." He leaned toward her, "but oh! As long as you are here I offer you a free stay at my inn!"

'_What a generous man.' _Sakura smiled at the bartender. "Free, you say?" She turned to her partner hopefully, "I think that's a great deal, Itachi."

Itachi shook his head, "remember, Gregor advised that we not stay within the city. At least, not until after we determine the cause of the illness. Perhaps, once deemed safe, we can stay here."

Sakura grinned excitedly and turned back to the bartender. "You hear that? Isn't my partner the best?"

The man suddenly stared at Itachi before darting back to the pinkette. "If you say so," he responded with a nod.

"I did say so. Look, Itachi," Sakura smiled at the Uchiha. "He agrees."

Itachi looked to the man and sighed, "Aa, I suppose he does. I thank you for your offer to stay," he bowed his head slightly. "We will do what we can about this sickness." He then returned his attention to Sakura, "let's go and speak with the marshal."

Sakura nodded in agreement before looking to the bartender once more. "Thank you very much for your help." Turning back to Itachi, she grabbed his arm, "let's go, Snail."

She then pulled him to the door and pushed it open before exiting the inn and stepping back outside. After glancing around a moment, she looked up at him. "Do you know where the well is?"

Itachi looked at her with slightly narrowed eyes a moment before redirecting his gaze and indicating an object in the middle of the town, "it's there."

Sakura followed his gaze and nodded. "Got it. Now to find the hill," she mused, scanning the surrounding area.

"I'm having a bit of trouble locating it myself."

A mischievous smile formed as she asked, "you can't? Maybe we should turn this into a competition. First one to find it wins."

Itachi tilted his head before nodding. "What an excellent idea. Now then," he looked around the area before setting his gaze on a hill to the right. "Oh look, there it is."

Sakura's eyes widened. '_He found it so quickly_.' She scrutinized the hill and sure enough, there was a giant red door sitting atop it. "Impressive, Itachi. You have excellent observation abilities."

"Aa," he nodded. "I make it a habit to notice as much as possible."

"Sounds like it's very useful. Did you train yourself to do that too then?" Sakura asked.

Itachi tilted his head, "Hmm…let's just say it's more of an _inherit_ trait."

"Oh, I see," Sakura nodded in understanding. She then turned to the recently discovered hill with a smile and pulled on Itachi's arm. "Come on, then."

She proceeded to lead the way to the hill and ascended it, as well as the stone steps leading up to the vibrant crimson door. Before she could extend her hand, Itachi firmly knocked on the door four times.

After waiting for a very long minute, the door suddenly swung open to reveal a man standing on the other side. He had the same signs of disease as everyone else in the village.

"You summoned me?" he asked.

Itachi nodded in response, "Aa, we want to speak with the marshal about the illness that plagues this town."

"We want to help," Sakura quickly added.

The man stared at the two of them before taking a bite of the carrot Sakura now noticed he held in his right hand. _'Did that man just eat a dirty carrot? That's so unsanitary. And the bartender back at the inn was cleaning his goblets with a dirty rag. No wonder they're all sick. If it wasn't definitely a disease, this would be my guess.' _

The man nodded as he motioned them inside, "come in, I will speak with you."

Itachi glanced at Sakura before nodding in return and following the man inside, Sakura closely behind. She looked over her shoulder and watched the door close before turning her attention to the room. It was rather small. Not something the Shinobi would expect from the town marshal, of all things. There were various types of seashells scattered across the room and Sakura silently wondered if it was a hobby of the man's to collect them, but decided to ask later. A single sofa took up residency in the center of the miniscule area.

The man walked toward Itachi, carrot now held securely in his mouth, and extended a hand to him. "My name is Fu Blood."

Itachi simply nodded which Sakura roll her eyes. _'Of course he remembered."_

Fu Blood's expression didn't change and he instead removed the carrot from his mouth, "I am the marshal." After voicing this, he abruptly looked to his left, "hush, Manister! They aren't here to see you!" He then returned his gaze to Itachi and Sakura with a shake of his head, "apologies for my friend, Manister. He can be quite rude at times."

'_Manister?'_ Sakura examined the room for a mysterious, unseen occupant but found no evidence of such existing. She cocked her head before her eyes drifted to a single mauve-colored seashell with a knowing smile. "Oh. Is Manister your friend, Fu Blood?" Sakura asked. "Do you name all of your seashells?"

The man's expression drastically changed. "What?" He asked, "What sort of question is that? Manister is no shell! He is a flesh and blood human being. I suggest you apologize as you've undoubtedly offended him."

Sakura sighed. What was it with her and unintentionally offending people? She bowed politely to the _man_ beside Fu Blood, "I'm truly sorry for offending you, Manister. I meant no harm." The marshal clearly had an imaginary friend, but Sakura didn't want to upset him any further by calling him out on his ridiculousness for having such a thing.

Fu Blood nodded his approval, "that shut him up alright. You're a sweet girl and I would hate to have my friend in disapproval of your presence."

Sakura forced a smile. "You must really value your…friend's opinion."

"Yes, indeed," the man nodded. "Only the worst of us disregard the opinion of a friend."

Her smile spread into a sincere one as she nodded, "friends are a very important part of our lives."

"Yes! Yes! Quite true," the marshal exclaimed in exaggerated agreement before nodding. "Quite true, indeed. Nothing worth more than that."

Sakura was slightly taken aback by the man's exclamation and blinked several times. She half-heartedly nodded to the man before shifting her gaze to Itachi. She tugged on his sleeve to get his attention.

Itachi tilted his head in response, "yes, Sakura-san."

"I think you should ask Fu Blood about the disease. The sooner the better," she stated, attempting to mask a plea for help, as she met his gaze.

Itachi gave her a reassuring nod before turning back to the marshal. "What can you tell us of this illness? Do you have any idea what may have caused it? Known symptoms would be helpful as well."

"Hmm," Fu Blood replied before shaking his head. "Don't know how it started. No one does." The man then took another bite of his carrot and continued, chewed bits of the vegetable swirling around his mouth as he spoke. "Symptoms…symptoms…let's see," he held up a hand and began to count them off. "Fever, abdominal pain, and a…skin rash."

Itachi nodded. "And about the cure…someone mentioned there is a man who specializes in identifying local plants. Where can we find _him_?"

"Yes!" Fu Blood exclaimed, snapping his fingers. "Great idea! Yes, Bogford Wong. He lives in the shack outside the city's walls. Refuses to live within. Strange man." He shook his head, "a very strange man, indeed."

"Is there anything else or," Itachi's eyes shifted to Sakura, "do you have anything you would like to ask him?"

Sakura nodded before hesitantly turning to the marshal. "How many sick people are in this village?"

"All but Bogford. He's paranoid. He doesn't like this city," Fu Blood replied.

Sakura saw Itachi tilt his head, appearing to consider something the man had said. She wondered if she should ask him what he was thinking about, but decided against it and instead looked back to the crazy man before them. "How many people live here?"

"About…" the man paused and tapped his finger against his chin thoughtfully. "…eighty-three."

'_Eighty-three people and they're all sick, except for the plant specialist. I think I can rule out it being an air pathogen. He would've been infected as well if that was how it spread. Human transportation is still likely.' _"Do you socialize with the villagers much, Fu Blood?"

"As the marshal," he nodded. "Of course."

"And how do you typically go about doing that?" Sakura continued.

Fu Blood chuckled in response. "Town meetings. Festivals. Banquets. All fun things."

Hmm," she mused. The man was clearly very actively engaged with the other residents of the village. That didn't help narrow down the possibilities. It only slightly increased her suspicion that it was humanly transferred, though it could still be from something else entirely. If Fu Blood had said _no_ then she could've ruled that out because he was sick as well. "Did you have one of these events last night?"

The marshal shook his head, "it was our bi-weekly distribution of household necessities."

Sakura blinked in confusion. "And what does that entail?"

Fu Blood again lifted a hand and counted off the list as he spoke. "Soap, water, shares of meat, various ointments and pastes, and…" he snapped his fingers. "Firewood."

The pinkette nodded, now understanding what he meant by his response. "I see. Thank you very much." Looking to Itachi, she stated, "I think I have enough information. What about you?"

"Aa," he nodded in assurance. "I'll follow your lead on this one, Sakura-san."

Sakura smiled as she reached down and grabbed his hand firmly in hers. "You've been following my lead all day, Itachi."

"Have I really?" Itachi asked with an answering smile.

"Yes, you have. Anyway, I think we've overstayed our visit on this man's_…_hospitality," Sakura stated, trying to mask her desire to leave.

"Nonsense," Fu Blood said with an exaggerated wave of his hand. "Anytime. Anytime is good. Anytime is fun."

"Regardless," Itachi replied, lightly pulling on Sakura's hand as he took a step toward the door, "we appreciate your help, but we really should be going."

"Of course, of course," Sakura heard him reply as she turned in the direction of the door. "Sure you don't want a haircut before you go? I've been told by many that I am the best barber in the land."

Sakura looked back to the man in bewilderment and saw he had lifted the pair of scissors he had been holding. Her teal gaze shifted to Itachi and his dark silky hair. She wondered what he would look like with shorter hair. _'It wouldn't be the same. I don't think it would suit him as well as his current hairstyle. It's just Itachi.'_

"That's quite alright," Itachi replied with a nod.

Fu Blood shrugged, "just let me know if you change your mind. I am always here. Always."

The Uchiha then directed his gaze from the man and instead rested it on Sakura, "ready?"

Sakura nodded vigorously with a grin, "hell yeah. I've been ready. Shall we go?"

Itachi laughed softly before guiding her toward the door and finally outside, away from the deranged man inside.

She released a sigh of relief and Itachi looked down at her with a small smile. "Interesting people, aren't they?"

"Sure. _Interesting_. I think I like them before I actually talk to them," Sakura replied with a shake of her head.

Itachi then started descending the steps down the hill and she quickly followed behind. "Well, some are more intolerable than others."

"And some are completely psychotic," she responded before adding as an afterthought, "I suppose it's not such a laughing matter now. Sorry."

The Uchiha glanced at her silently a moment. "I've always felt that one should try and face difficult situations positively," he stated. "Therefore," he shot her a slight wink. "This matter may very well be one to laugh at."

Sakura giggled in response before returning his wink. "So long as I have your approval."

"No need," Itachi shrugged. "Do as you like."

"I usually do that anyway," she responded. "But alright."

"I am very aware of that," Itachi looked to her with another smile.

Sakura shoved him playfully with a laugh. "You know me so well."

"Aa," he nodded. "I suppose that I do."

Her eyes shifting back to the Uchiha's long hair, she released another amused laugh.

Itachi tilted his head slightly as he met her gaze.

"Yes?" she asked innocently.

Shrugging, he answered, "I was merely wondering what you found amusing just then."

Sakura smiled before reaching out and fiddling with Itachi's ponytail. "Nothing," she stated in the same tone.

Itachi sighed, "I don't believe you're being entirely honest with me, Sakura-san."

"It seems you were able to see right through me," she replied sarcastically. "I was just thinking about what Fu Blood said before we left."

"Oh?" he asked. "What in particular?"

Sakura continued running her fingers through his hair as she replied, "When he offered to cut your hair."

"Aa," Itachi nodded. "You found that amusing?"

She shook her head, "That's not what it was. It's because I found his suggestion absurd. It's hard to imagine what you would look like with shorter hair. How you are now, is the way I'll always picture you."

"As well you should," he smiled in amusement before tilting his head thoughtfully. "I only ever had shorter hair when I was younger, having opted to keep it long most of my life. Couldn't really tell you why, it's just an inclination I've always had."

"I like your long hair," Sakura stated. "And it seems to suit you."

"Aa, I suppose it does," Itachi replied with a nod before observing her.

"Have you always kept your short?" he asked, halting in his steps beside the well.

Sakura stopped beside him as she lifted her other hand to her own short strands. "No. I kept it short until I was eight then grew it out but," she paused, remembering the life-threatening situation she had been in with her teammates. "I was forced to cut it when I was thirteen…during the Chuunin Exams in the Forest of Death."

Itachi was silent as he appeared to consider her statement before smiling reassuringly at her.

"Well shorter hair," he stated. "Seems to suit you."

Sakura grinned to cover up the blush she felt form on her cheeks. "Thank you. Then it was probably a good idea for me to keep it short afterwards."

"Aa," the Uchiha nodded. "So long as you are happy with it."

"I am," she smiled. "My reason for letting it grow out was pointless anyway."

"_I heard that Sasuke-kun likes girls with long hair!"_

Sakura inwardly shook her head at herself. Even when she had long hair, it didn't change anything. After she cut it, she even wondered if what she heard was true. Maybe Sasuke didn't even care…or notice.

Itachi shook his head, "don't say that, Sakura-san. I'm sure it wasn't pointless."

"Well, if I didn't have long hair in that forest then I don't know how I would've managed to escape," Sakura mused. "Seems there was a good reason after all."

He nodded, "you see? There _was_ a point."

"You're right," the girl nodded. "Thank you, Itachi. And, yes, it is necessary for me to say it."

Itachi simply smiled in response. There a moment of silence before one of the sick villagers bumped into them who looked up to them curiously then continued slowly walking past them.

"Well," Itachi sighed. "I suppose we had better go speak with the herbologist now."

Sakura scanned the area, taking in the pained faces off all the inhabitants, before resting her gaze on the well beside them. "Actually, would you mind if I stayed behind?"

Itachi looked around as well before responding, "not at all. May I ask, though, what you are planning to do?"

"A symptom of their disease is a fever," Sakura indicated the inhabitants. "And even though it aids in the healing process, it's only adding to the pain they feel from the other symptoms." She pointed at the well, "water can help reduce that. I want to help as much as I can, even before we find the cure."

Itachi's eyes landed on the well, "so, you would like to stay and offer them some water?"

"Yes," she nodded with determination. "They all probably drink it regularly but a little more could make a difference."

"Aa," Itachi replied before stepping away from her, "I will leave you to it then." He glanced around once more before his gaze returned to Sakura. "I will be back in just a moment."

"I'll see you soon then," Sakura said with a smile. "Good luck."

Itachi returned the smile, "Same to you and be careful."

Sakura nodded in assurance, "don't worry. Besides, it could give me a chance to test my new training on someone."

"Aa," Itachi nodded. "I suppose that's true." He then turned and proceeded to walk in the direction of the gate.

The Shinobi watched him walk away until he was completely out of sight. "You be careful, too," she whispered before smiling and focusing her attention on the well, though she couldn't shake the feeling of loneliness she got when Itachi left. It was an old-looking structure, made out of heavy stones.

Sakura lifted her gaze and rested it on a bucket that was hanging over the center by a thick rope. Nodding, she grasped the robe in her hands and lowered the bucket into the water at the bottom. After tugging on the rope and noting how much heavier the bucket felt, she proceeded to lift it out once more.

Water sloshed out of the container as she picked it up and placed it on the ground beside her. She wiped the sweat from her brow, but felt scrutinizing gazes on her. Turning, she saw that all the villagers were standing behind her, observing every move she made. The pinkette laughed uncomfortably and rubbed the back of her neck.

"Umm…hello, everyone. My name is Haruno Sakura and I am going to help make you all feel better. For now, I'm going to do something about your fevers. If you would just step this way," she motioned for them to come closer to her and the bucket.

She studied their faces and they all conveyed their doubt and distrust toward her. Sakura sighed before moving to stand on top the well. "Listen everyone! I know you don't trust me and you have every right to feel that way. I would too if I were in your positions," she stated, her gaze lifting to the sky as a distant smile stretched across her lips. "Who would want to hear a stranger babble on about things in front of you anyway?"

Her mind wandered to her teammate once more. He would _never_ stop talking, even when they were on missions. Actually, it always seemed like Naruto would be even more incessant with his speech when they _were_ on missions...or maybe it only seemed like it sometimes.

"_Alright, does everyone understand the purpose of this mission?" Kakashi inquired, shifting his gaze between each of his three students as they sat huddled around the campfire. _

"_Hn."_

_Sakura simply smiled and nodded in reply._

_They all turned to Naruto, who had a ridiculously large grin plastered on his face._

_A lone owl screeched in the dark night as a silence ensued. _

_Sakura's eyebrow twitched. "Answer the question, Naruto!" she snapped impatiently. "Don't just sit there with that stupid smile on your face!"_

_This only made Naruto's smile widen. _

_Sasuke shook his head at the blonde. "What do you want to say, dobe?"_

"_Kakashi-sensei! I don't understand the mission, dattebayo!" Naruto exclaimed in response._

_Sakura glared at him. "Why is that so funny, Naruto?"_

"_It wasn't," Naruto snickered. "I just made you think it was. I tricked you, didn't I, Sakura-chan?" he asked, leaning toward her with a cocky smirk._

_The pinkette pushed him away from her with a scoff. "As if! I knew what you were up to the whole time."_

_Sasuke smirked. "Then why didn't you say anything, Sakura?" _

"_Yeah, Sakura-chan. If you knew, you would've said something," Naruto pointed out, wiping the dirt off his jumpsuit._

"_Because we all know how much you love to brag about yourself," Sasuke added._

_Kakashi nodded, grinning under his mask, "That's right, Sakura. So…were you lying to us?"_

_Sakura looked at her teacher sheepishly. "You too, Kakashi-sensei?" They were all ganging up on her. What had _she_ done wrong? "So what if I was," she replied shortly. "It's Naruto's fault for tricking me in the first place."_

"_Aha!" Naruto exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at the pinkette._

_She shot him a scowl. "What, Naruto?!"_

"_You just proved that he tricked you, Sakura," Sasuke replied simply._

_Naruto grinned triumphantly. "Exactly, Sakura-chan! You denied it before, but I tricked you again. Dattebayo!"_

"_You didn't plan that, dobe."_

"_Yes I did, teme!" Naruto countered, turning to Sasuke._

"_No, Naruto. That was a complete accident. Sasuke-kun is right," Sakura stated matter-of-factly._

"_Then it was a lucky accident, dattebayo!" _

"_Luck, huh?" Sasuke asked, his expression growing distant as he leaned back on the grass. _

"_There's no such thing."_

"_Sure there is, teme!" Naruto smiled widely. "You're reading too much into it. There's no explanation for luck. It's just there to help us out when we need it, dattebayo."_

"_That's why I'm saying it doesn't exist. There isn't anything to help us out. Only ourselves."_

"_Sasuke-kun?" Their conversation was starting to worry the kunoichi. What if they started fighting again?_

_Naruto laughed. "What's the matter, teme? You're talking funny!"_

_Sasuke sighed before he rose to his feet. "I'm going to go train, Kakashi," he stated as he walked away from the group and into the shadows of the trees._

_Sakura watched him leave. She hoped he wasn't upset by anything._

_Kakashi nodded before turning his attention to the hyperactive Shinobi. "Okay, Naruto. It looks like I'll have to explain the mission again."_

"_What was that, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked, tearing his eyes off the trees his friend had disappeared into and resting them on his teacher._

Sakura instantly shifted her teal gaze back to the inhabitants of the town when a man loudly voiced his opinion. "Excuse me, young miss," he asked, crossing his arms while his hand twitched uncontrollably. "How exactly do you plan to help our fevers?"

"Simple," Sakura replied, pointing to the bucket at her feet. "You drink plenty of cool water and stay hydrated."

The crowd jumped back in fear.

"Water?"

"Did she say water?"

"Death upon us all!"

Sakura stared at them in confusion. "What's wrong with the water?"

"Water we do drink make us such as we is before lady pink," an elderly man stated, continuing to scoot away from her.

"What are you saying? The water," she dropped her gaze to the clear, serene liquid in the wooden pail, "is what's making you sick?"

"Water is a curse sent upon us by the land!"

"No one is drinking that evil concoction, you hear?"

The villagers continued shouting their disapproval at the prospect of drinking the water, but the young Shinobi had shut them out. She was rummaging through her bag as the pieces of the puzzle started coming together in her mind. '_The disease passed in a single night. Every villager caught the illness because they drink the water. The herbologist must not drink the water and that's why he didn't get sick. There's probably a viral pathogen in the water. I can't be completely certain until I test it, though.'_

Finding the object of her search, Sakura pulled the large First-Aid kit out of her satchel. The townspeople were now arguing with each other, but she simply drowned them out as she pulled out a pipette and filled it with water from the bucket. The girl then hastily pushed her way through the crowd and found refuge inside the inn.

Glancing around the room briefly, she noted that it was empty. _'The bartender is probably outside with the rest of them._' She sat at the closest table and laid the medical kit on the smooth surface, placing the dropper beside it. Opening the lid once more, she carefully removed a miniature microscope from inside. After setting it up on the table, she slid a glass slide into place on the instrument and skillfully released two drops of water on it.

The kunoichi readjusted the lens until it showed a clear image of the water cells, and sure enough, there were parasites mixed in with the healthy cells. "I knew it," Sakura stated aloud, sitting back with a satisfied grin. "Now we just need to figure out what to do for a cure."

"You already found the cause?" a voice said behind her.

Sakura jumped, causing the chair to topple and fall to the ground, taking the surprised girl with it. She glared in the direction the voice had come but it was instantly replaced with a smile when she saw the owner. "Itachi! You're back!"

"Aa," Itachi replied simply before setting a book on the table beside her equipment. He then sighed gently as he offered her his hand.

"It wasn't _my_ fault," Sakura defended as she grabbed his hand. "You surprised me."

The Uchiha pulled the girl to her feet before shrugging, "I wasn't blaming you."

"What was the sigh for?" she asked, not completely believing him.

"Just pondering the fact that you always tend to find yourself in the most unfortunate situations," he replied with a smile before looking to the table. "In any case, what have you found? I had no idea that your venture to offer these people water would lead to such a discovery."

"I didn't expect it to, either. It was because I did, though, that led me to my discovery," Sakura explained. "Have a look." She motioned to the microscope.

Itachi only shook his head in response, "I don't know the first thing about microscopic specifications. I'll simply take your word for what resides there."

Sakura rolled her eyes at him and eagerly led him to the chair. "You know the name of it, at least," she winked. "In any case, I want you to look anyway. It'll help when I explain it."

"I see," Itachi replied before removing his hand from hers and sitting in the designated seat. He pulled the device closer and peered into the lens. After a brief moment, Itachi nodded and returned his gaze to hers. "This is…quite interesting."

"Did you see it?" Sakura enthusiastically inquired.

Itachi laughed softly, "Aa, I believe so."

Sakura nodded, "good. That's a parasite. It's the pathogen I found in the water here and it's the cause of the illnesses. I came to this conclusion when the villagers refused to drink the water, but I had to confirm it, which," she smiled proudly, "I did."

Itachi returned the smile. "It's very impressive that you responded so swiftly to your intuition."

"Thank you, Itachi. It's also impressive that," Sakura trailed off in the middle of her automatic reply. Itachi had clearly seen the parasite and didn't seem to have any other problems with his vision, which meant… "Itachi, you tricked me!"

He blinked and tilted his head slightly. "…how so?"

"By letting me continue believing the assumption I made that you were blind! You never told me I was wrong and that your eyesight was perfect."

"Well," Itachi responded thoughtfully. "My eyesight was severely damaged before arriving here and," he shrugged, "I don't know if it will revert to that state when we get back so, I didn't feel your assumptions were worth correcting."

Sakura shook her head at him, sighing as she did so. "Itachi…it might seem that way to you, but we're partners now. That implies that you should tell me things like this. I actually _care_ about what's going on with you."

Itachi's eyes widened slightly in response before his expression softened and he smiled at her. "Aa," he nodded. "You're right, Sakura-san. It wasn't my intention to fool you into believing something that wasn't true."

"Well, that's good, at least," Sakura replied, returning his smile. "From now on, I expect…no, I _want_ to know if there's something going on with you."

"Fair enough," the Uchiha nodded before returning his gaze to the microscope. "Returning to the subject of the pathogen, how do we remedy the situation? The people still need to be hydrated, correct?"

She nodded, "yes, Sensei. That's correct. We have to do things. One," she lifted a finger to make her point stronger. "We have to show these people how to purify the water so it can be safe to drink. Two," she rose another finger, "I'll have to test different herbs to find out which counters best against the parasite. I'm not sure how long that will take, though, but I am going to give it my full attention."

Itachi nodded in agreement, "as well you should. I don't believe there's been any fatalities as none were mentioned. However, I would prefer to discover an antidote as soon as possible so as to prevent that from happening in the future." He motioned to the book he'd placed on the table earlier, "there are very detailed descriptions of local plants that will undoubtedly prove to be helpful in your research."

"I doubt this type of pathogen would be fatal, but I'm not willing to take any chances. They need to remain hydrated throughout the entire process," she explained. "I'm going to need your help teaching them how to purify the water and later with the research. Is that alright?"

The Uchiha smiled once more as he stood and locked eyes with her before tapping two fingers against her forehead, "of course I'll be helping." He winked," as I said, I will be following your lead on this one…Sakura-sensei."

"I like your thinking. Good work," she replied, emulating his motion. "My fine pupil."

Itachi nodded as he lowered his hand, "I wonder what sort of teacher _you'll_ be."

Sakura pushed his bangs aside with a shrug, "I wouldn't know, actually. You shall be my first student. I expect great things from you."

"Aa, I'll try my best to meet those expectations," Itachi nodded. "And I'm sure that…you'll be the best kind of teacher."

She smiled and ruffled his hair, "I'll let you be the judge of that, Snail."

The Uchiha sighed softly in response. "I suppose that I will have to wait and see." He then shifted his gaze to the door, "now, how do we go about purifying the water?"

Sakura smirked as she snapped her fingers in his face and he looked back at her. "First lesson: look at your sensei when she is speaking."

"You weren't…" he trailed off before shaking his head. "Aa."

"Feel free to speak you mind, pupil," Sakura stated. "However, I've already guessed what you were going to say and I know I wasn't speaking yet. I was letting you know that you should do it from now on."

"Sakura-san," Itachi stated with a slight smile. "You're off topic again."

"Very well," the pinkette sighed before proceeding to pack the equipment securely in her bag and swinging it around her shoulder. When she returned her attention to him, she grabbed his hand and led him towards the door. "I'll show you outside."

Itachi hastily reached back and grabbed the book she had forgotten on the table. She inwardly scolded herself but washed it away by smiling.

The door was suddenly swung open in front of them, revealing a forceful expression on the bartender's face. "Are you staying?! Has your partner decided yet?!"

"Not sure. I'll ask him," Sakura replied, casting Itachi a wink as she looked up at him. "Itachi, are we going to be staying in this…inn?" She couldn't think of any other way to describe the place. It certainly wasn't an excellent establishment but it appeared to be well-managed, at least.

Itachi sighed and gazed out the door, where the villagers had finally stopped yelling at each other and resumed their places against walls of various buildings lining the street.

After a moment, he nodded, "Aa, if you would like."

Sakura gave him a pointed look, "I would but what do _you_ want to do?"

Itachi shrugged, "I don't really care either way."

"Then it's decided!" she exclaimed excitedly before turning back to the bartender. "We will gladly accept your offer, if it still stands."

The man reached forward and grabbed her free hand, shaking it fervently, "It always stands, sweet miss!"

Sakura grinned at the idea. "Thank you, sir. That would be two rooms then," she stated, holding up two fingers.

"Of course!" the bartender replied before swiftly walking in the direction of a cabinet behind her, which he took two keys from. "Here you are!"

The Shinobi giggled at the memory of a similar situation they had been in at the last inn. Itachi motioned for her to pick first and she moved to again poke her fingers against his forehead. "I'll let you decide this time, Snail."

Itachi tilted his head a moment before nodding and grabbing one of the keys the bartender held out. However, he handed it to her then accepted the other for himself. "There you are, Sakura-san."

"Thank you," Sakura offered him a warm smile. "Once again, you're a true gentleman."

Itachi returned the smile, "and you are learning to more appropriately respond to courtesies."

"That's because you wanted me to," she replied matter-of-factly.

"Oh?" he asked. "I thought it had more to deal with your desire to avoid the repercussions of not doing so."

Sakura sighed dramatically, "I suppose, in the end, you thought wrong."

"Well then, in regards to your former statement," Itachi replied, "I would prefer that you decide for yourself."

"Very well," she stated. "I'll keep that in mind."

Itachi nodded then placed his key in his pocket and grasping Sakura's hand once more, "shall we go?"

Sakura slightly tightened her hold on his hand before nodding. "Absolutely, Snail."

The Uchiha then looked to the bartender a moment as he muttered his appreciation before leading the way to the door and outside into the town. It was harder to read the expressions of the villagers in the dimming light, but deduced that they hadn't changed much since the last time she looked upon them.

Most of the people in the town she didn't like, but that wouldn't sway her from her resolve to help them. With Itachi's help, they would all be cured. It was only a matter of time now before they completed the trials and went back home.

Glancing up at Itachi, Sakura wondered what would happen when they returned. Would they be the same as they were now or go back to being enemies? She would prefer the former, but everything was uncertain. For now, she decided that she would try her best to make sure that their relationship didn't change.

'_Itachi has definitely become a treasured friend of mine,'_ Sakura thought with a smile.


	12. Harvest Day

Vigil of Sorrows

Chapter 12

"Harvest Day"

…..

Sakura had started preparing for the day and was currently watching her reflection stare back at her as she fixed her hair. Golden rays of sunlight streamed in through the open window as the curtains were swaying in the light morning breeze.

The Shinobi brushed through her short pink tresses, remembering a lullaby her father used to sing to her whenever she was sad or scared, which seemed to happen often when she was younger. The memories flooding to the forefront of her mind, she began singing the cherished melody to herself:

_Close your eyes,_

_Rest your fears,_

_This coldness won't last._

_When you wake, sakura blossoms will bloom._

_Weep not, sweet child,_

_You're not alone._

_Fear not, sweet child,_

_I am here by your side._

_When you wake, sakura blossoms will bloom._

_Sleep now, fearful child,_

_Go to where monster's arms can't reach._

_Dream now, fearful child,_

_The evil beasts cannot find you._

_When you wake, sakura blossoms will bloom._

_And morning will come,_

_And the night will run._

_Stars will vanish,_

_So will the sun,_

_But I'll always be here_

_When the sakura blossoms bloom._

Sakura smiled. She loved her father very much. He was her best friend growing up. She used to have nightmares all the time and would call for her dad. He would then stay in her room with her until she fell asleep again. One of those times, he came up with that song and she asked him to sing it all the time.

It was comforting singing this to herself. Suddenly she felt more prepared to face the new day. It was surprising considering what a hassle it was yesterday. She could tell, trying to teach something new to these crazy people was going to be difficult, but a determination to help coursed through her when she so much as walked through the streets and saw all the sick people.

Yesterday, she had shown Itachi how to purify the diseased water into being consumable. They had then passed the knowledge onto the inhabitants of the town. Granted, it had taken several attempts and in the end, they still hadn't learned how to cleanse the water, but at least they agreed to drink the already clean water.

Sakura sighed as she set her brush back in her bag. "I'm just going to be as patient with them as possible. If I give up now, who knows what would happen to these people. They live such…unsanitary lives."

She smiled as she headed toward the door. "Naruto would be proud of me."

Her hand on the door, she instantly remembered what the plan was for the day. They were going to find the plants that were in the herbologist's book and test if they could be used as an antibiotic against the pathogen.

"Right! We should get started on that as soon as possible. I need to go wake Itachi up. He probably had enough beauty sleep for one night."

Sakura wrenched the door open and ran into the hallway. Itachi's room was beside hers so she hastily turned in that direction. As his door quickly became closer, she spotted Itachi standing in front of it, but she couldn't stop her running and instead bumped into him. However, she didn't fall and was instead being steadily held by Itachi.

'_His reaction time is incredible.'_

"…good morning, Sakura-san."

She lifted her head to meet the Uchiha's gaze and grinned. "Good morning, Itachi. I was just on my way to wake you."

Itachi tilted his head as he returned her smile. "What a coincidence, as I was also on my way to wake you."

"We must think alike. I wonder what that is supposed to mean," Sakura replied.

Itachi shrugged before removing his hands from her shoulders. "We certainly must," he replied. "Though the meaning is definitely a mystery."

"Glad you agree," she nodded, reaching down and grabbing his hand. "Ready to get started?"

Itachi nodded in response, "Aa. Where do you recommend we begin?"

"We're going to pick plants so we should start with a field," Sakura stated nonchalantly. "Lots of plants there."

"Well," Itachi mused as he led her toward the staircase, "It might be more efficient to review the contents of this book, determine which specimens correlate with ones we are familiar with in our own land and then seek them out. The herbologist has some detailed descriptions of common places to find each plant."

"Alright. In that case," Sakura quickened her pace down the stairs. "We should find a table and look through the book."

Her partner nodded as they descended the last step. Sakura glanced about the room, in search of an empty table.

"How's that one, Sakura-san?" Itachi said from beside her, motioning to a table near the fireplace.

Sakura shrugged, "I suppose it's alright."

Itachi tilted his head thoughtfully. "…is there another one you would prefer?"

"No," she responded simply.

After a moment, the Uchiha nodded before walking over to the table, upon which he placed the large book. He then proceeded to release her hand and sit in one of the chairs, resting his elbow on the table and his chin in his hand.

The pinkette followed and sat in the chair across from him. However, something didn't feel right about the current position and she decided to scoot her chair around the table until she was sitting next to him. '_This is much better._'

Itachi smiled slightly before he reached forward and grabbed the book.

Sakura turned in her chair so she could look at the contents with him as Itachi flipped to the first page. She always enjoyed research, having grown fond of during her years as Tsunade's apprentice, and was especially anticipating the countless interesting facts she could find out about the plants in this book.

She scrutinized the page, closely observing every detail of both the picture and the description. She noted the pictures were artistically accurate as they almost completely resembled the real thing, the limit being what could be done on paper. However, she pushed these thoughts out of her mind as she instead focused her attention on trying to remember what medicinal purpose the plant served.

"Hmm," she heard Itachi muse. "Perhaps we should take notes or mark the pages of potential specimens. Do you have a pen and some paper, by chance?"

"Excellent suggestion, Snail," Sakura replied before grabbing her bag and setting it on the table. "Give me a second to check."

As Sakura rummaged through the satchel, she remembered that she didn't pull everything out the other day. '_I forgot to look in the side pouch. Silly me._' She then proceeded to unzip the outside pocket and sift through the various items she stored there until she found a small blue notebook and an ink pen.

"Here you are, Itachi," Sakura stated with a smile before placing the objects in front of him.

Itachi lifted the notebook off the table and opened it to the first page. However, he glanced to her questioningly before returning his slightly narrowed gaze to the page. She was curious what had caused this reaction from him so decided to simply ask, "What?"

He looked to her again and shrugged, "nothing of consequence."

Sakura narrowed her eyes at him, "that's not what it looked like. Tell me the truth, Itachi." Something in his demeanor had changed the second he glanced at the page and it definitely wasn't _nothing_. He was obviously pretending he hadn't seen anything.

Itachi sighed before shaking his head. "It's not anything to concern yourself with, Sakura-san."

She slammed her fist on the table impatiently and glared at him. "Damnit, Itachi, tell me what the hell it is you saw!"

The Uchiha's eyes widen slightly before he shook his head once more. "I'll show it to you later. We need to focus on our task."

"No, I demand you show it to me now! I'm the one that gave it you so I can see it whenever I want," Sakura snapped. "If you don't let me see it, Itachi, this friendship thing might take a bad turn."

"Sakura-san…" Itachi began before pausing. He then released a frustrated sigh as he handed the book over and avoided her gaze.

"Thank you!" Sakura exclaimed irately, snatching the notebook and sitting back in her chair. She breathed to calm herself before flipping it to open to the page that had caused her to lose her temper. However, as the girl read the words written on the page, she felt her cheeks heat up intensely. '_Mrs. Uchiha Sakura' _was clearly displayed at the bottom, surrounded by a large heart and a drawing of the Uchiha symbol to the side.

This was probably the most embarrassing thing she had experienced in her sixteen years. She remembered writing that the day they had been placed in Team Seven together and would look at it all the time. No one had ever seen it before since she had always kept it safely hidden away, but she had forgotten about it and now _Itachi_ had seen it. Itachi was the last person she would've wanted to see that. Well, apart from Sasuke himself.

Sakura laughed nervously and pretended to pat the notebook indifferently. "That's just something…I, uh, wrote once."

Itachi looked to her and offered a small nod before directing his attention to the book on the table. "It's no matter."

"Right…" Sakura replied awkwardly. She hesitated a moment before roughly ripping out the stupid page and tossing it into the fire, the red flames consuming the object of her embarrassment. She then set the notebook in Itachi's hand s with a sigh, "Sorry I snapped at you."

The Uchiha's onyx eyes lifted to hers and a small smile formed after a brief silence, "apology accepted, Sakura-san."

Sakura returned the smile with a nod. It was the first time Itachi hadn't told her it wasn't necessary and she was grateful for it. She had crossed a line and an apology was _definitely _required. She felt like her temper had been out of control and mentally scolded herself. He was right that she should work on controlling her impulsiveness.

"Alright, back to business," she finally announced.

"Aa," Itachi answered, sliding the book across the table to her and raising the pen over the paper. "Just tell me what to write."

"Very good, pupil," Sakura smiled before lowering her gaze to the plant records. Perusing the first page once more, she tapped Itachi's shoulder. "Okay, write this down. _Page 1:_ _plant is an herb used for making strong tonics._"

Itachi nodded as he copied what she said onto the paper. When he finished the sentence, he flexed his hand and returned his gaze to her.

Sakura leaned in front of him and nodded in approval. "Good, good," she stated before tilting her head to look up at him. "Is there anything you would like to add?"

The Uchiha shook his head after glancing at the paper, "nothing comes to mind."

"Alright then," she responded before returning to her former position beside him. Glancing at the adjoining page, she clicked her tongue before turning to the next one.

As she continued examining the plant species, she ordered Itachi to write down important information about each one that she deemed could be possibly helpful. However, this process was interrupted by the approach of the bartender.

The man looked to Sakura with a smile, "some food or perhaps a drink?"

Sakura noticed Itachi subtly shoot her a warning look and she got the message that they shouldn't eat the food here. She wanted to protest but she knew he was right. Gregor had cautioned them against it, after all.

She smiled warmly at the man and shook her head. "Thank you for the offer, but I'm fine. I don't really want to eat anything right now."

"Are you sure? Are you absolutely sure?" he looked between them, "surely you are a bit hungry, Are you sure? I prepared some infamous cake earlier."

Sakura couldn't help grinning at that last statement as she glanced at Itachi. Cake was his favorite food, after all.

"No tha-" Itachi began before he paused, seeming to actually consider the offer this time. After a short time, he finally nodded. "Aa, that would be great."

The bartender grinned widely before abruptly turning and running away.

Sakura giggled at her partner's response and he looked to her. "I guess since it was cake it's alright. Right," she cast him a wink, "Itachi?"

He answered with a small smile then shifted his gaze back to the direction the bartender had gone. Said man returned several minutes later, carrying a slice of white cake, which he set between both of them. "If there's anything else, don't hesitate. No hesitation is needed here. Ever."

Itachi nodded to the man before carefully examining the cake. Sakura rolled her eyes at him. He clearly wanted to eat the dessert so why was he wasting time checking for poison or whatever? The bartender seemed to be very trustworthy and hadn't done anything so far to arouse suspicion.

The Uchiha lifted a fork off the plate and slowly cut off a piece before cautiously lifting it to his mouth. He hesitated once more before finally relenting and taking the bite, which he seemed to like.

Sakura continued to watch him with amusement as he set the utensil back down and met her gaze. Her grin widened when she spotted a thin strip of white icing on his upper lip. He tilted his head as he slightly narrowed his eyes.

"Sakura-san?" he asked simply.

She reached forward and tapped her index finger against his mouth. "You know, Itachi, you look cute with icing on your face."

The Uchiha lifted his hand and wiped it against his lip before lowering it and looking at the white frosting. "Ah," he stated before wiping his hand on a napkin. He then returned his gaze to her with a small smile.

She laughed at him again before grabbing the same napkin and using it to wipe the rest of the icing off his mouth. Itachi stiffened instantly before ultimately relaxing as he smiled fondly at something distant, probably a memory. She decided against asking him about it though.

Sakura smiled and dropped the napkin onto the table before ruffling his hair. "There you go, Itachi. All better."

"Aa," he replied in a soft voice.

Sakura ran her fingers through his silky hair a moment before shaking her head and lowering her arm. "So," she smiled sweetly, "how is the cake?"

Itachi dropped his gaze to the dessert and nodded, "it's good."

"That's great," Sakura announced as she returned the nod. "Now hurry up and finish so we can get started."

"Of course," Itachi smiled, "Sakura-sensei."

The Uchiha then continued the process of eating the sweet and several moments later, they were back to taking notes on the plants. Hours passed before Sakura decided that they had more than enough information for a good start.

Her partner nodded as he closed the notebook and placed the pen in his pocket. He then glanced at the door before looking at her once more, "I suppose we can gather a few samples before nightfall."

Sakura felt a great sense of accomplishment as she closed the heavy volume and nodded in response, "sounds good to me. Which plants are the closest to here?"

"There are a few that grow near the water's edge," he replied. "We could start with those."

"May I have the notebook, please?" Sakura asked, holding her hand out expectantly.

Itachi handed the notebook to her as he tilted his head slightly.

Sakura smiled gratefully before she glanced down at the blue pad in her hands. Not wanting to go through another embarrassing experience like earlier, she flipped through every page, skimming the contents thoroughly. Upon finding nothing of the sort, she sighed in relief and turned back to the first page. The girl then proceeded to mark the plants that were found near the water.

"That makes eight different species," Sakura informed Itachi as she handed the notebook back to him. With a wink, she added, "and good job with those notes, pupil."

Itachi simply answered the compliment with a smile before flexing his writing hand. He then reached down to grab his bag and the plant book before meeting her gaze, "ready?"

Sakura grinned, "hell yeah. Come, Snail." She then grabbed his hand and marched toward the door.

"Good luck," the bartender stated with a wide grin. "Best of luck out there."

The Uchiha looked to the man and nodded.

The pinkette waved to the man with an emulating smile, "thank you, sir. My friend enjoyed the cake."

The bartender nodded to her, "the cake. Of course the cake. The cake was my specialty. My specialty, the cake."

"Thank you for sharing it with us," Sakura replied sincerely. "And also for letting us stay here."

The man's grin widened as he dipped his head. "Of course, of course, sweet miss."

Sakura returned the grin before she felt a gentle tug on her hand as Itachi opened the door. The sky was beginning to darken and Sakura noted that they had been studying that huge book all day, which meant they had to gather the plants quickly if they wanted to make any progress before nightfall.

…..

As the young kunoichi harvested the various plants in the fading light, her mind wandered to a similar situation while on a laborious mission.

"_You know, Sakura-chan, usually I don't like these kinds of missions, but I really enjoy watering plants, dattebayo."_

_The sun was beating down heavily on the two members of Team Seven that day. They had been assigned a D-rank mission that involved pulling weeds and watering the plants in their client's garden. It was very tedious work and Sakura had expected Naruto to complain like he always did, but he actually _liked_ this kind of work. _

"_Of course you do. All you have to do is water the few plants while I'm kneeling in the dirt, pulling out all the weeds," Sakura replied irritably._

_Naruto grinned at her as he moved to the next row of flowers. "Exactly, dattebayo. I'm glad you understand."_

_Sakura narrowed her eyes at him, but he didn't notice so she instead took her frustration out on the stupid weeds. _

_After several moments of silence, Naruto suddenly exclaimed, "I just realized that teme isn't here! How come _he _gets to slack off while we're working?"_

_The pinkette glared at her teammate and threw a rock, which made contact shoulder. Naruto dropped the watering can as he rubbed his now sore arm. "Why did you do that, Sakura-chan?"_

"_Because you're accusing Sasuke-kun of doing something he isn't. He's not slacking off, Naruto. He's just working on another client's garden by himself so we can get both jobs out of the way at the same time."_

"_Ohh! Then we can get better missions, dattebayo!" the blonde stated cheerfully._

_Sakura smugly placed her hands on her hips, "Exactly. Now work!"_

"_Okay. Okay, Sakura-chan," Naruto responded defensively as he stooped and retrieved the canteen from the ground. _

_They continued their work in silence for a few minutes until Naruto looked to his friend and a sudden grin spread across his face. _

_The Shinobi released an exasperated sigh. "What's with that look, Naruto?"_

"_Nothing," he replied, the smile widening. "Except…Sakura-chan, you have dirt all over your clothes."_

_Sakura looked at her clothes and growled angrily. Not only was her outfit dirty, but he even had the nerve to mock her about it? "Fine!" She pushed herself off her knees and stamped her foot before stalking off in the direction of the village. "You can just finish the rest by yourself!"_

She frowned as she set the plants she had collected into the pile with the others. Why did it always seem like she was unreasonably cruel to Naruto whenever she thought about their time together as children? In every memory, she had either ditched him for Sasuke or was simply rude to him.

Maybe it only seemed that way because those were merely the ones she was remembering at the time. She _had _been mean to him before, but after several months of being together that had changed. She no longer forced herself to be nice to him or anything, even now. She and Naruto were friends now and that was all that really mattered.

Sakura glanced at the pile and nodded in satisfaction. She spotted Itachi close by and walked toward him, tapping him on the shoulder when she reached her partner. "We've gathered enough for today. Let's head back"

Itachi nodded, "Aa."

"It's nice knowing that you agree," Sakura stated with a smile before retracing her steps back to the plants they had gathered. "I'll carry half of these and you can take the rest."

The Uchiha returned the smile before reaching down and proceeding to gather the collection of plants in one hand, "I've got them, Sakura-san."

"Alright," Sakura shrugged, "if you're okay with that."

Itachi nodded and grabbed his bag as well as the plant book and notepad, "of course."

The girl arched a questioning brow. "Itachi, I _can_ carry something."

His gaze lowered to her own bag then it rose to meet hers, "you still have your satchel."

Sakura sighed as she grabbed her bag off the ground before turning back to him. "Just let me know if you need any help, Itachi."

"Aa," the Uchiha nodded with a small smile. "I will."

She nodded in response as she spun on her heel and led the way back to the crazy village. As she entered it, Sakura saw a young couple standing a few feet away from well, drinking the water they had purified the day before. She smiled triumphantly at the thought that the inhabitants were at least drinking clean water now. _'Now, they just have to learn how to do it themselves.'_

The snail had finally caught up to her and Sakura congratulated herself for picking such a suitable nickname for Itachi. He certainly walked slower than she did, and sometimes she had to slow down to match his pace. She looked up at him with a conceited smirk as they continued venturing through the streets. He was such an amusing person to be around.

As the inn came into view, Sakura was anticipating starting the tests on the plants. It was always the most interesting process of making medicines and probably the most crucial. If she couldn't concentrate, then the chances of creating a proper antibiotic would be very slim. _'And that won't happen. There's nothing here that could distract me from my work.'_

Sakura nodded before opening the door and crossing the threshold of the inn with a stronger resolve than when she had left nearly an hour prior. She smiled in greeting to the bartender when she saw him. Itachi simply nodded to the man before looking down at her.

Determining it was now time they begin the experiments, she walked toward the table in the far corner then proceeded to pull out a chair and sit down. Itachi soon joined her and set his belongings down as well as the plants they had gathered before taking the seat next to her.

"Good, you're here," Sakura proclaimed with a grin as she pulled her medical kit out of her bag.

"Aa," Itachi replied with a nod and an answering smile before removing the pen and notebook. He flexed his hand and prepared to take notes.

Sakura carefully removed the microscope and slides and set them beside each other on the table. She then placed a pipette, a pair of scissors, and a scalpel down next to them. Lastly, she placed a mortar and pestle on the table.

"Okay," Sakura began. "Hand me one of the plants then find its page in the notebook."

Itachi nodded before grabbing one of the specimens then looking at his notes. He turned it so that she could read it as she leaned forward

'…_has medicinal characteristics similar to the herb, elderberry, a component for treating fever, skin rash, and intestinal ailments.'_

Sakura nodded before she set to work cutting a slice of both the stem and the berry off the plant. She then dropped it in the mortar and smashed it with the pestle.

A sudden thought popped into her head as she turned to her partner. "Itachi, I'm going to need your help restraining some people tomorrow."

He blinked and tilted his head slightly, "of course. However, I must ask what the reason is."

"Oh!" Sakura exclaimed as her eyes widened. "Sorry. I need blood samples to test."

Itachi nodded, "Ah. That makes sense."

"Thank you," Sakura replied with a smile. "Now hand me the next one, Snail."

He nodded before proceeding to follow her instructions.

…..

_Two young Shinobis stood on either side of an alley, adorned in black funeral attire. It was the day of the Third Hokage's funeral. The sky was grey and cloudy, the foreboding presence of rain looming overhead. Haruno Sakura's head was lifted to the dismal clouds while Uzumaki Naruto silently stared at an academy poster on the opposite wall. _

_The shuffling of footsteps approaching from the end of the path alerted their attention to their missing teammate. Uchiha Sasuke slowly journeyed towards the two figures, his gaze never lifting from the ground. He didn't stop once he reached them and instead walked past them, but halted after a few steps. _

_A blustery breeze blew dead leaves around the three friends and carried them away along with any hope of a lighter atmosphere. Sasuke then continued his journey down the lane and the other two children ran to catch up and walk in step beside him. _

_The village of Konoha shared the dismal silence of the three young Shinobi as they walked down the street and passed by the many, typically lively, shops. They walked as slow as possible, in no rush to get to a funeral that hadn't even begun. None of them dared say a word to break the melancholic silence. Even Naruto, the ball of sunshine and endless energy, shared in this wordless agreement. _

_Sakura didn't know how to feel about the coming event. The Third Hokage had always been there for everyone, even her. He had been involved in all their lives in some way and it was such a big loss to the Hidden Leaf. _

'_What are we going to do now?' This same question repeated itself in her mind as she walked with her friends down the long road, the Hokage Tower coming ever closer with each footfall._

_Sasuke suddenly stopped mid-step. Naruto and the pinkette turned to him, blatant concern present on their faces. His unreadable expression hadn't changed, but his onyx eyes possessed a hint of deep sadness as they remained fixed on the ground beneath his feet. _

_The thought passed through Sakura's mind that he might be feeling unwell considering the gruesome fight he and Naruto had with the Suna Shinobi, Gaara, on the day of the invasion. 'That was the same day that…' she couldn't bear to finish that thought as a single silver tear formed in her teal eye and slipped down her cheek to the ground. _

_After several moments, the Uchiha finally lifted his gaze but directed it to a shop on his left instead of at his comrades. He then proceeded to venture in the direction of the shop and Sakura followed, realizing it was a vacant Ichiraku Ramen. She looked behind her at Naruto, who was in-step behind her, but the blonde still didn't say a word._

_One by one, raindrops fell from the gray sky and landed in their wake then they started falling faster. Team Seven entered the ramen shop as the rain turned into a heavy downpour._

_They mechanically sat on the stools, Naruto between the other two Shinobi. Three bowls of ramen were then set in front of them and Sakura simply stared at the noodles swirling around in the broth._

"_It's on me today," the old man said and the girl lifted her head to see him offering them a small reassuring smile._

_Sakura nodded and the man went back to cleaning bowls. The kunoichi glanced at her friends. The only movement Sasuke had made since sitting down was to hold the chopsticks in his hand, but he hadn't even broken them and merely stared at the wooden objects. A rumble of thunder sounded in the distance and his grip tightened slightly._

_She remained silent and looked across him to Naruto, but he wore a completely broken expression. The blonde separated the chopsticks and the sound of the familiar snap seemed to echo throughout the small booth. He refrained from saying the typical thanks before a meal is consumed and dropped the chopsticks into the bowl. However, rather than eat it he formed random shapes with the noodles._

_The girl didn't know what to say to her teammates. What _could_ she say? There was nothing she could ever say or do that would give her friends some sense of comfort. She returned her gaze to the Hokage Tower and sighed before rising from her seat. If there was one thing she could do in this situation, she could guarantee they made it to the Third's funeral on time. _

_Sakura tapped Naruto's and Sasuke's shoulders and they both craned their necks to look at her. She offered them both a sad smile, "Come on. We can't be late."_

_They nodded in unison then proceeded to follow her out of the stall as another loud crack of thunder pierced the silence. _

The familiar sound of rain pounding on roof of the building could be heard in Sakura's room. She was sitting on her bed in the dark with her pillow clutched tightly to her chest. The girl had attempted sleep but the sudden onslaught of the storm rendered this task a lost cause.

Thunder resounded outside her sealed window as lightning flashed and instantly disappeared, reflecting the emotions Sakura felt building up in her heart. She wasn't afraid of the thunderstorm; never had been, even in her childhood. It wasn't even the thunderstorm per-se that brought about the unwanted feelings she now felt. It was the incessant rain.

Every time it rained, she always felt an extreme emotion of both sadness and loneliness.

_Plop. Plop. Plop._

Rain didn't used to produce this result. It only started after _that_ day.

_Plop. Plop. Plop._

The day that Naruto and the retrieval squad left to bring Sasuke back. The day Kakashi went after them to aid in their mission. The day she was left alone in Konoha…

_Rain had been falling for over an hour. The street had started flooding and the park abandoned, except for one twelve-year old girl with rosy pink hair. She was sitting on the lone cement bench, tears cascading down her cheeks as relentlessly as the rain falling from the sky. _

"_Sasuke-kun." _

_The girl had been repeating the same word repeatedly ever since the torrent of water had begun. She wrapped her arms tightly around her torso, not even attempting to control her sobs. _

_Sakura didn't want to doubt Naruto. He always managed to pull through, no matter how certain is was that he would fail. But, this time didn't feel the same as any of the other times. As much as she wished, and hoped, that it wasn't so, it truly seemed like it was hopeless. _

"_Sasuke-kun isn't coming back," she choked out through her tears. "I can't blindly hope that Naruto can…bring him back to me. It's pointless. Sasuke-kun is _never_ going to come back."_

_Sakura lied down on the cold bench and lifted her legs, which she clutched with her arms. "I'm all alone. Naruto is gone. Kakashi-sensei is gone. And Sasuke-kun…is gone. I'm alone."_

_A new trail of tears leaked out of her eyes as she voiced her thoughts, the sadness overwhelming her. She didn't want to sit and wait for the retrieval squad to return with the inevitable news. _

_Even though she thought this, in the back of her mind, Naruto's promise gave her a small hope._

Sakura buried her face in her pillow. She felt tears forming and she refused to let them fall. She didn't want to think about this anymore, but the rain refused to leave her alone. She felt so sad and lonely. Was there no one who could comfort her?

Her head popped up instantly as the obvious answer came to her. She smiled weakly and wiped the tears out of her eyes before jumping off the bed and hastily crossing the room to the door. She turned the knob and quickly escaped the dismal chamber.

The kunoichi ran down the hall and wasted no time before she knocked loudly on Itachi's door. She heard movement from inside the room and the sound of someone grabbing the door handle.

"Who's there?" Itachi asked simply.

"It's me, Snail," Sakura replied quietly.

After a moment, Itachi unlocked the door and opened it. Upon seeing her, he tilted his head.

"Are you alright, Sakura-san?"

Sakura avoided his gaze and stared pointedly at the wall beside him. "Not really."

Another crack of thunder sounded, but she simply waited for a response from her partner

Itachi smiled, "would you like some tea?"

She met his gaze and nodded slowly. If she could be around him until the rain stopped then it would be fine. Besides, she liked tea. "Yeah."

The Uchiha nodded before stepping aside and she gratefully stepped into the room. He flipped the switch and the room instantly lit up before he moved to a small stove in the corner.

As Itachi prepared the tea, Sakura glanced about the room for a place to sit before she shrugged and moved to sit on the bed.

Her eyes wandered about the room before they rested on Itachi, who was currently pouring the contents of the kettle into a cup and proceeding to prepare another. After several moments, he repeated the same process before turning of the stove.

He then turned and walked toward her, handing a cup to her when he reached the bed. She accepted it with a smile and took a slow sip of the warm liquid as Itachi sat next to her.

Itachi glanced at her and tilted his head. "Are you frightened of the storm?" he asked in a soft voice.

Sakura lowered her eyes to the steaming tea in her hand. She _wasn't_ afraid of the storm. She wasn't even afraid. However, she also didn't want to reveal the real reason she sought his company, especially after what he had read earlier that day.

The pinkette met his gaze with a convincing nod, "y-yeah. They always scare me."

Itachi took a sip of his tea and smiled distantly as he lowered the cup. "Sasuke…was always afraid of them too."

"He was?" Sakura asked with widened eyes. That explained why he seemed to be tense whenever there was a storm…but _always_? She didn't expect that, though it _did_ make sense. They were something he had been afraid of ever since he was a child. Actually, she didn't expect him to be afraid of thunderstorms at all.

"Aa," Itachi nodded. After a moment, he met her gaze. "Is he…still afraid of them? Do you know?"

"I'm not entirely certain. I never knew he was afraid of them before, but now that you told me I think there were always subtle hints," Sakura replied thoughtfully.

Itachi nodded again before smiling.

"Did he…" Sakura paused briefly before continuing. "Always come to you whenever he was scared?"

"Aa," he nodded slowly. "He did."

Sakura smiled fondly at the thought of a young Sasuke running to his older brother because there was a loud storm outside. She considered her own predicament and her smile widened. "You're the perfect person to come to when someone is scared…or otherwise."

Itachi smiled slightly and nodded before pointedly observing her, "…or otherwise."

Her smile faltered in response before it was replaced with a warmer one as she met his scrutinizing gaze. She debated whether she should tell him the actual reason behind her coming in here and shrugged. He had confided in her about things so she may as well do the same. "I, umm, lied earlier. Thunderstorms don't actually frighten me."

He nodded, his smile still in place as he replied, "I thought as much."

"Of course you did," Sakura laughed. "I can't keep anything from you, can I?"

Itachi shrugged before casting her a wink, "I suppose not."

She shook her head before taking another sip of tea. As she lowered it, however, she glanced at him curiously. "Don't you want to know the real reason I came here?"

"Only if you want to tell me," Itachi replied.

Sakura nodded before she considered his proposal. She decided to just answer simply but not elaborate further. "I feel sad and lonely whenever it rains and I needed to be around someone. That's why."

The Uchiha tilted his head thoughtfully in response before returning the nod. "I see," he stated with a smile. "Are you feeling any better, then?"

"Yes, thanks to you, Itachi," she responded before yawning. The day's work must've finally caught up with her. She leaned her head onto his shoulder with a smile. "You're a good friend."

Itachi looked to her with a small smile before glancing to her tea. "Have you finished your tea, Sakura-san?"

Sakura tiredly lifted the cup and drank the last few drops of the contents before holding the cup up to him. "Now I have."

He took it from her before finishing his own tea and leaning forward to set both cups on the night stand. He straightened, glanced down at her, and then looked aimlessly about the room.

Sakura's eyes grew heavy and she relented to close them when the thunder sounded again. She snuggled closer to him before ultimately drifting off to sleep.

'_Goodnight, Itachi._'


	13. The Effects of Exhaustion

Vigil of Sorrows

Chapter 13

"The Effects of Exhaustion"

…..

Sakura yawned. She rubbed her eyes as she looked out the window to see the morning sky. She smiled before kicking off the blanket and sitting up. Glancing around her room, something seemed different about it. Like there was something off about it.

"Oh, that's right!" she suddenly exclaimed, as the events of the night before replayed in her mind. She had fallen asleep on Itachi's shoulder and she clearly hadn't been moved back to her own room.

'_If that's the case, then where's Itachi?'_ she thought, looking around the room. However, the Uchiha was nowhere to be found. The pinkette scoffed and leapt off the bed and onto the ground. "Where is that bastard?"

Sakura frowned as her eyes rested on the door. He must've left while she was sleeping. _'Of course he did. And just when I decided we were friends. Bastard.' _ She released an exasperated sigh and started for the door. "The next time I see that bastard, I swear I'm going to-" she was cut off as she abruptly tripped over something on the floor and landed on her face.

She groaned in pain as she lay on the hard floor. '_Of all the things, of course it had to be a hardwood floor.' _She felt someone kneel down beside her.

"Sakura-san," she heard someone say before a hand was placed upon her shoulder. Something about that voice was familiar, but she didn't know what it was exactly.

"Yes?" the girl replied cautiously.

She heard the familiar voice release a sigh. "Are you planning on lying here on the floor all morning?"

'_Wait a second.' _She was then suddenly able to determine the owner of the voice. "Itachi?"

"Aa," he replied. "Or perhaps it would be more familiar to you if I simply referred to myself as _'_that bastard?'

Sakura instantly pushed herself off the ground and into a sitting position before quickly punching his shoulder. "Refer to yourself in whatever way you want, Snail."

Itachi nodded. "As long as I have your permission," he stated. "I will take that privilege into consideration."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"Nothing," he said after a moment before his expression became serious. "More importantly, however…" he gave her a pointed look. "I have something I simply _must_ ask you."

Sakura arched a curious brow but it was soon replaced with a sigh as she closed her eyes. "What is it?"

"Well, I'm just curious," the Uchiha began in a soft voice before pausing. "If I really had left you here…what is it you swear you'd do to me?"

Her teal eyes promptly opened and she met his gaze with an awkward smile. "O-oh. That? Well, I was cut off when I tripped."

"Aa," Itachi nodded. "Which is why I'm asking. You see, I wouldn't even have a need if you had completed your sentence."

Sakura dropped her gaze to the wooded floor, avoiding his stare. "I was going to swear that I'd..." she paused, tracing circles on the ground with her finger. "Punch that pretty face of yours until you were beyond recognition then leave you in the street with all the crazy people."

Itachi rose a brow before proceeding to shake his head as a smile formed. "My, Sakura-san," he began, "you're quite a violent little Shinobi, aren't you?"

She smirked and cracked her knuckles. "Well, I _was_ trained to beat people with my fists."

The Uchiha nodded. "That you were," he stated before casting her a wink. "I suppose you have a valid excuse for violence then."

"Hell yeah!" Sakura exclaimed before smiling at her partner. "What about you? Are you _not_ a violent Shinobi?"

Itachi titled his head as he seemed to consider her question. "Well," he started, "I suppose violence is at times inevitable for all Shinobi. However, I prefer to avoid it if at all possible."

Sakura nodded slowly. '_Inevitable, huh?'_

"_I'm one of those notorious criminals, Sakura-san."_

She dropped her gaze sadly. _'Was it inevitable when he…'_ She shook her head, not wanting to dwell on _that_. That dreadful truth would only upset her and…she didn't like thinking about Itachi that way. It just made him seem like a completely different person than the one she knew and befriended.

Sakura closed her eyes and released a long exhale, forcing the thought out of her mind. As she did this, another thought replaced it. She didn't really know that many interests of the Uchiha other than his favorite color and food. She looked back up at Itachi with a warm smile. "What's your favorite animal?"

He returned the smile, "a crow."

"A crow, huh?" Sakura thought about it a moment before her smile widened. "It suits you."

"Does it?" Itachi asked.

Sakura nodded before tapping two fingers against his forehead. "It sure does, Snail. That's another thing that will make me think about you."

"Hmm," the Uchiha responded. After a brief silence, he offered her another smile. "What is _your_ favorite animal, Sakura-san?"

She considered it a moment before a smirk suddenly formed. "Certainly not _pigs_."

Itachi blinked, but he didn't inquire further. Instead he tilted his head and asked, "…then what is?"

"A dove," Sakura replied.

"Oh?" the Uchiha asked. "That's certainly an interesting choice. What is it you like about them?"

The pinkette shrugged. "A lot of things," she stated. "You can always catch glimpses of their beautiful white feathers when they fly past you, even in the dark. They will only have one love for life. Also, they represent innocence, peace and…hope."

"That seems very fitting then," Itachi stated.

Sakura smiled slyly. "Does it?" she asked, imitating his response from before.

However, Itachi merely tilted his head in response before offering a soft, "Aa."

She pouted and brushed her fingers through her bangs before ruffling his own hair with a grin. "Fine, Snail. Be that way."

Itachi offered another small smile before retrieving his cloak from the ground and slipping it on. He then turned his attention to the stove. "What's on the agenda today?"

Sakura rose to her feet and stretched her arms over her head. "We're going to get blood samples from various sick villagers then test them with the plants we collected yesterday. If all goes well, we can begin the testing before noon."

The Uchiha nodded as he rose to stand beside her before proceeding to turn and prepare their tea. "I only hope the villagers are moderately receptive to the idea of us acquiring samples of their blood."

The Shinobi sighed. "Me, too. Maybe if we just took samples from the…more sane inhabitants. Then we won't have to worry about their receptiveness as much."

"Hmm," Itachi responded. Several moments passed as he finished making the tea before he turned and offered a cup to her.

"In any case," he continued after taking a sip of his beverage. "At least it will be entertaining."

"I'm certain it will be, Itachi," Sakura stated with a nod before taking a small drink of her own tea.

…..

Days passed. They generally progressed in a similar way each time. Every morning, they would take the herbologist's plant book with them and they would gather more plant samples before returning to the city. There, they would test different mixtures of the specimens with the blood samples they collected. Sakura essentially handled the experiments while Itachi recorded their daily findings.

After two weeks, they still had very little results, but Sakura refused to give up. She was determined to help these people and her decision to do so never once faltered. It was tough, but she somehow managed to balance the time she spent conducting experiments, offering any aid she could to the ill, and training with her admirable sensei.

They did, however, discover one thing from their tests that was productive: an ointment that treated the reddened skin of the villagers. Recently, the villagers' attitude toward her had seemed to change. They smiled whenever she walked by and seemed to accept her guidance as she showed them how to treat themselves. She remained patient with them throughout the entire process, even if she had to repeatedly demonstrate or explain.

One morning, a man came to her and asked if she could again show them how to purify their water. She smiled and led the way to the well in the center of the city. Slowly, she showed them the proper technique and looked back at them when she was finished. They simply stared at her in confusion and bewilderment. Sakura laughed. Even though the work was tedious, she enjoyed it immensely. What she loved most about being a medic-nin was the joy she felt when she knew she had saved someone's life. There wasn't anything else like it in the world.

Sakura told them to watch closely before beginning the process again. However, when the kunoichi lifted her head, she saw Itachi standing behind the window of the inn. The girl was happy to see him and waved, which he returned before turning and descending the stairs to join her at the well.

Although she was the expert in the medicinal field, she wouldn't have been as productive as she had been these past few weeks without the Uchiha's help. Not only was he aiding her with the experimental process and anything else which required assistance, but his calming demeanor also helped strengthen her resolve to continue after every failure.

As it turned out, some people in the town were crazier than others. Much crazier. Fu Blood, whom she already knew was on that list, often followed Itachi with scissors and attempted to cut his hair. Itachi, of course, prevented every endeavor, but Sakura couldn't help but hold a grudge against the man for wanting to cut the Uchiha's beautiful hair. She couldn't hold it against him _too_ much, though, because he delivered the bi-weekly necessities her mentioned and had even started including medicine in this.

She finally met the herbologist Itachi mentioned. She wanted to thank him for lending them his plant book, but the thought didn't even occur to her again after she met him. He lived outside the village, like they had been informed, on the docks, but what she didn't know, or expect, was his 'hobby'. The man would incessantly beat fish with a mallet. This horrified her and she hid behind her Uchiha partner, preferring to stay hidden and avoid the madman.

There was also a woman by the name of Ariel Lowleaf, who had taken to stalking Itachi wherever he went. The woman was completely obsessed. She would even randomly attack Itachi then offer to hug him afterwards. One time, Sakura had been with the Uchiha and she seriously felt like punching the girl. There were limits to how close you can get to a person, especially if you're a stranger, and Sakura respected a person's space…to an extent. It actually made her consider the fact that she hadn't hugged Itachi before, but refrained from contemplating it much like she had with most things concerning her Uchiha friend.

Every time she thought about the things that concerned her about him or when thoughts she wanted to push away surfaced, she felt utterly confused and, once again, decided to disregard them and perhaps think about it later.

The strangest thing about her time spent with Itachi was that she always sought his company. Even though they had only been together for two weeks, it felt like Itachi had always been around. He was just a part of her life now, simple as that. He was certainly unlike any other person she had known, and doubted she would ever know in the future.

The fact still remained, though, that Uchiha Itachi was a mystery…and she wondered if she would ever be able to solve it. For now, however, she stored this thought with the rest to be considered, if ever, and dedicated her complete concentration to finding a cure.

It wasn't until the night before their sixteenth day there that they discovered the missing component that would connect the individual elements of the cure. They had spent the entire morning gathering the last few plant samples recorded from the book and then devoted a small portion of the afternoon to Taijutsu training…

…..

Sakura held her kunai defensively as Itachi advanced toward her and clashed his own against it. She threw a punch at him with her free hand, but he pushed himself away and landed a short distance in front of her. He came at her again, thrusting the weapon forward before flicking his wrist and turning the kunai sideways, the attack aimed for her neck.

The pinkette instantly leapt backwards to avoid the attack, throwing a shuriken at the Uchiha as her feet touched the ground. Itachi side-stepped and the weapon planted itself in the grass behind him before he rushed toward her. Again, their kunais clashed and she was forced to concentrate on blocking the attack further as his remained pressed against hers. However, she smiled as she formulated a plan to beat her opponent.

Itachi extended his hand toward her other wrist and Sakura moved to the side as she purposefully dropped her kunai and rolled behind him. Itachi quickly stepped back a few feet before throwing his kunai in her direction.

The girl smirked and swiftly reached behind her to grab the shuriken out of the ground before using it to block the aerial attack. Itachi then proceeded to quickly move and step behind her before bringing one arm across her shoulders and slipping the other between her arms, forcing them behind her as his own rested against her back.

Sakura attempted to struggle out of his grip, but stopped and frowned when she realized she couldn't move them. She was restrained another moment longer before Itachi stepped back and released her. "That's enough for today."

Sakura turned to him with a nod. "Aye, Sensei," she answered with a smile.

Itachi directed his attention to the sky a moment before looking back at her then proceeded to gather the discarded weapons.

"You've considerably improved, Sakura-san," he stated as he extended a hand to return her weapons.

"Thank you, Itachi," Sakura replied before placing the kunais and shurikens back into her pouch. "It's always rewarding to hear praise from my teacher."

He lifted a hand and rested it on her head, like he usually did after their training sessions. "Allow those feelings of accomplishment to be directed towards yourself." He smiled, "though I do appreciate the gratitude."

"But I wouldn't be this accomplished if it weren't for my talented Snail-sensei," she countered, returning his smile.

Itachi shook his head and lowered his arm. He sighed in resignation, "whatever you say, Sakura-san."

"Whatever I say, huh? In that case," Sakura tapped her chin thoughtfully. For a second, she was tempted to ask if she could hug him, but immediately shook her head and instead smiled. "Let me hold your hand as we walk back."

Itachi's eyes slightly narrowed and he tilted his head, "of course, I don't recall a time where I ever refused to allow you that request. However…I don't think that's what you really wanted to ask."

Sakura felt her face heat up, but attempted to cover up the blush with a nervous laugh. "It was just something that I've sometimes thought about lately."

"…and what would that be?" he inquired further.

"That I…" she began sheepishly before meeting his gaze with a slight pout. "…haven't hugged you before."

"Hmm," Itachi mused thoughtfully. "Well then," he continued after a moment before extending an arm toward her. "By all means."

Sakura grinned before quickly moving toward him and wrapping her arms around his torso as she rested her head against his chest. Itachi immediately stiffened in response, but slowly rested his arm around her shoulders.

Yet again, it was strange. She had hugged Sasuke once, when that strange mark on his shoulder made him torture those Sound Shinobis and she wanted him to stop. It worked, of course, but she had a very different feeling when she hugged him then how she felt now, hugging Itachi. Perhaps it was simply because of the difference in the situations…or because her feelings for Sasuke were different from her feelings for Itachi.

Either way, Sakura was glad Itachi let her hug him. It made her happy and warm inside. She tilted her head up to see his face and decided she liked that feeling. Her smile widened and she tightened her hold. Itachi's smile widened as well before he briefly looked to the path beside them, which led to the city, then returned his gaze to hers. "You ready to go?"

Sakura's smile faltered and Itachi laughed softly before turning, keeping his arm around her shoulders. "Come along, we have lives at risk."

"You're right," she nodded in agreement, her thoughts returning to her medical duties. "I'm ready to go now, Snail." She turned as well, leaving one arm in place around his waist and dropping the other by her side.

Itachi ventured in the direction of the familiar coastline and Sakura walked beside him, matching his slow, laid-back pace. She glanced around the beautiful terrain they were walking through before resting her gaze back on Itachi with another smile.

However, the pounding on wood forced her to direct her attention to the crazed herbologist, who awarded each of them a toothy grin. She merely turned her head to him, the smile still on her face before quickly setting her attention ahead of her.

As they entered the town, the villagers smiled and seemed to welcome their return. Sakura glanced to Itachi once more. "We made quite the impression on these people, partner."

The Uchiha turned to her with a nod. "Aa, it would appear that way."

She thought back to what she said the second morning they were in the village and laughed. It seemed completely ridiculous to her now.

Sakura saw Itachi tilt his head curiously and looked to him with a smile. "I was just remembering the threat I made the morning I tripped over you," she began before reaching up to ruffle his hair with her free hand. "And I don't think it would work anymore, assuming I _could_ beat you up."

Itachi shrugged, "I'm sure you could, as I would be entirely without the will to fight back."

Her eyes widened briefly before she recalled what he said during that first day of training.

"_I just don't think I could ever bring myself to harm you."_

"I know, but don't forget what I said either," she warned softly, giving him a quick poke on the forehead then lowering her arm once more.

Itachi smiled and nodded, "I won't."

"Good," Sakura replied before a warm smile formed. Suddenly, she remembered what else she said that same day which had become her routine after every practice session. "Oh, Itachi?"

"Hmm?"

"You're the best kind of teacher."

As usual, Itachi laughed softly and nodded.

'_That makes two times he's laughed today,'_ she mentally noted.

They arrived at the inn and Itachi pushed open the door before entering the establishment, Sakura right behind him. The bartender greeted them with a wave and Sakura smiled in return.

Itachi looked down at her and she nodded to inform him that they should get started. They still had more tests to do with the samples.

…..

Several hours passed as they worked. For the most part, it was silent. The only time anyone spoke was when Sakura would direct Itachi on what he should write. She continued to carefully analyze each sample they had gathered. As they neared the end of their collection of specimens, she had started double-checking her findings to be sure that specific plant wasn't the cure, but none of them had shown signs of countering the pathogen.

However, Sakura's determination wasn't swayed by this fact. She wasn't going to give up, even if none of the plants turned out positive. If that happened, then they would have to come up with another solution for curing the disease. Then again, maybe it would just end up being the very last plant that worked. There was no way of knowing unless she finished testing every single sample…soon, preferably.

Sakura's eyes started aching, probably from staring at the same thing for a long period of time. She let her gaze wander around the room until they landed on her untouched cup of tea. Her eyelids grew heavy as she stared at the cup.

_Sakura sat at her table, drinking a cup of lemon tea. It wasn't one of her favorites, but it was all they had until her mom went shopping tomorrow…or rather, sent _her _shopping tomorrow. She sighed before taking a long sip of the hot beverage._

"_Haruno Sakura! What are you drinking?" her mother asked, emerging from the kitchen with a steaming mug in her hands._

_She rolled her eyes irritably and replied, "It's called tea, Mom."_

"_Oh, you're drinking tea?" She quickly walked toward her daughter and sat at the table beside her. "What kind is that?"_

"_Lemon…the only one we have in our pantry."_

"_Can I try it?" Mebuki inquired._

"_Sure," Sakura replied with a shrug, handing the cup to her mom. _

_She took a small sip before giving it back. "It's very good. I think I'll get that next time."_

"_You always drink _coffee_," Sakura reminded her._

_Mebuki laughed and drank her beverage. "I can still try new things. And what about _you_, little missy? You usually prefer to drink coffee. What's with the tea all of a sudden?"_

_Sakura smiled innocently, "I can try new things, can't I?"_

_Her mother glared. "Quit the act, young lady, and tell me."_

"_I don't want to," she replied before taking another sip of tea._

"_You don't want to tell your own mother? Oh, I see! You think I'm not important enough for you to tell me _anything_!" Mebuki exclaimed, tears forming in her eyes._

"_Sakura, just tell your mother so everyone can enjoy the rest of their day," Kizashi said from the open doorway._

_Sakura smiled and ran to hug him. "Daddy! You're home early."_

_He grinned and patted her head. "Yes, I am. They switched my schedule, which means I'll start working in the afternoon from now on and finish around nine."_

"_I think I'll like this new work schedule better," Sakura informed him happily._

"_Me too," Kizashi replied. "By the way, what time is it now?"_

"_Just after eleven," Mebuki immediately responded, obviously wanting to draw the attention back to her._

"_Excellent. I'm going to get a drink," he stated, starting to walk in the direction of the wine pantry._

"_Alcohol in the morning?!"_

"_It's never too early or too late for a drink," he grinned, glancing at his wife. "Besides, I don't consider eleven part of the morning."_

_Mebuki sighed melodramatically and went back to drinking her coffee. _

_Kizashi winked at Sakura before turning back in the direction of his destination. "By the way, I meant what I said about explaining your sudden liking of tea to your mother," he said before turning a corner in the hallway._

"_Yes, Sakura. Explain this to your mother."_

_Sakura sighed and walked back to the table where she quickly finished the rest of her tea then proceeded to make her way to the kitchen where she set the mug in the sink. "It has to do with my crush, Mom."_

"_Oh! The little Uchiha!" Mebuki abruptly left her seat and joined her daughter in the kitchen. "What about that handsome boy?"_

_Sakura raised a brow at her comment but it was soon replaced with a smile as she thought about Uchiha Sasuke. "I found out he likes to drink tea, so I'm going to start drinking it all the time. Then maybe he'll like me back."_

_Mebuki smiled proudly, "that is an excellent idea, Sakura. I like that boy and it would be nice to see him more often."_

"_I don't think it's a good idea!" Sakura heard her father say from the opposite end of the house._

Sakura instantly opened her eyes and rubbed them, inwardly scolding herself for falling asleep while in the middle of something important. She shifted her position and picked up another sample from the pile.

She heard Itachi release a sigh before placing a hand on her shoulder. "Would you like to stop for the night, Sakura-san?"

The girl kept her attention focused on the plant as she shook her head. "No. We've tested all but the last few samples and I could finish the rest tonight. The sooner the better."

Itachi was silent and she continued working in silence. Her eyes still felt heavy and her body was weary from exhaustion, but she tried her best to ignore them, forcing herself to stay awake and continue.

As the current sample once again didn't produce any results, Itachi held one of the plants out to her. A Yucca plant, if she remembered correctly. "Try this one next."

Sakura eyed the plant curiously. What was so special about that one that made Itachi insist they test it? _'I won't know until I analyze it.'_ She shrugged and took the specimen from him. "Alright, Snail. Let's hope it's the one," she stated.

The Uchiha nodded, "Aa."

A small smile formed as she repeated the same process she did with the other plants. Something about the Yucca plant obviously caught her partner's attention and she had a suspicion that this _was_ going to be the one. Itachi hadn't been wrong before and this would just continue his streak.

When she mixed the blood with the ground specimen, she placed it on a slide and set it beneath the microscope. After it was focused, she peered through the lens in anticipation of successful results. At first glance, nothing had changed, but then she narrowed her eyes and concentrated on a specific grouping of blood cells where the parasitic antibodies were starting to react.

Sakura smiled widely and pulled excitedly on her partner's sleeve. "I think you'll want to see this."

Itachi returned the smile and nodded before moving closer and peering into the microscope. After a moment of silent observation, he released an astonished breath. He tore his black eyes away from the lens and they met with her gaze. "Is this what was missing?"

She nodded enthusiastically. Even after finding the suitable ingredients to aid in the reduction of the fever and serve as antihistamines for the skin inflammation, the virus stubbornly resisted. The Yucca plant, however, was the necessary component for the other antibodies to finally counteract and destroy the pesky pathogen.

"Now we need to gather more Yucca plants," Sakura informed her partner. "After that, I can start making the cure with the other components as well."

Itachi nodded, "I will visit Bogford-san first thing in the morning and try to convince him to offer us some of his collection."

That's right. Bogford was the name of the creepy fish-man. She felt uneasy whenever they walked by the docks now because that's where he lived. Even so, she was grateful for his strange fetish with plants and his allowing them to borrow his plant book.

"Very good, pupil," she said with a wink. "Wake me up when you leave so I can have everything prepared when you return."

"Of course," Itachi responded before returning her wink. "I will also let you make your tea tomorrow morning."

Sakura grinned, "Then I shall dutifully fulfill the task, Snail-sensei. Expect a steaming cup upon your arrival."

"Aa," the Uchiha nodded. "I will be looking forward to it."

"Then be sure to have a quick negotiation and hurry back," Sakura replied. If he was gone for too long, then he would have to wait for the tea he liked so much and…she would miss him.

He smiled, "I'll do what I can."

Sakura yawned before returning his smile with a tired one. "I'd expect nothing less from you, Itachi."

Itachi dropped the pen before gently tapping two fingers against her forehead. "You did well, Sakura-san."

She nodded before mirroring his action. "So did you."

For several moments, Itachi didn't move; only kept his fingers in place against her head as he looked at her. Something about his gaze always captivated her, but it was probably because she liked his dark eyes. The Uchiha withdrew his hold and Sakura felt the familiar sensation of brief longing that occurred every time he lowered his hand from her forehead.

Sakura retracted her fingers as well, running them along his silky hair as she dropped her arm. Smiling, she turned and proceeded to pack up her medical equipment. Itachi helped by handing her several supplies which she then placed inside her bag. After zipping it closed, she glanced out the window at the dark sky.

The Shinobi sighed. It was very late and it felt like she would collapse if she didn't get rest soon, even though she didn't particularly want to go to sleep now. However, she would need her strength for the long day ahead and her complete attention as well. She returned her gaze to Itachi and hid her saddened smile beneath a forced laugh.

"Well…goodnight, Itachi. Remember to wake me up."

"Aa," he responded, rising to his feet. "I will remember." After a short pause, a small smile formed. "Goodnight…Sakura-san."

The pinkette reluctantly followed-suit and stood beside him. She met his gaze briefly before nodding and slowly walking past him, her legs beginning to ache as she moved. _'I must've put a lot of strain on myself today.'_

"Are you alright?" Itachi asked.

Sakura turned to him with an assuring smile. "Perfect," she lied.

Itachi approached her, his eyes slightly narrowed. "That isn't true, Sakura-san."

"It's not a big deal, Itachi," she replied before sighing. "I'm just tired."

"If you say so," he replied as he tilted his head. "However, I'll listen if you decide to tell me what's really bothering you."

"Fine." The girl closed her eyes in defeat before opening them to look at him. "I think I overexerted myself today because now my whole body aches, especially my legs when I'm walking, and…I feel light-headed like I'm going to pass out," Sakura quickly explained.

Itachi blinked and simply stared at her a moment before smiling and nudging her forward with his hand. "Off to bed with you, then."

"That's where I was headed before you stopped me, Snail."

The Uchiha nodded, "Aa. So you were."

Sakura rolled her eyes at him and turned to the stairs. "Good night…again."

She then proceeded to slowly ascend the stairs, keeping one hand on the railing to support herself, Itachi following closely behind. When she reached their floor, she sighed in relief and placed a hand on her hip smugly. "Well, that was easy. See you in the morning, Snail."

The pinkette took her hand off the rail and started toward her room before her legs gave out and she fell forward. However, Itachi had caught her before she hit the ground. He sighed before helping her to feet, keeping one arm wrapped around her waist to support her. "Can you walk?"

Sakura couldn't believe she'd almost made it to her room and just when she felt like she'd succeeded, she fell. How ironic. She looked away from him in embarrassment. "Of course I can," she replied. "Thank you for your help, but I can handle myself from here."

Itachi looked at her silently before shaking his head, "come on." She felt his hold on her tighten slightly as he stepped forward and stopped. She groaned and hesitantly followed his example.

"You know, I manage fine on my own. I've been doing that for a few years now and it's always turned out alright," Sakura stated, keeping her gaze on the opposite wall as they made their way to her door.

"Your response to common courtesy remains unchanged, Sakura-san."

Sakura directed a glare at him. "It's a common courtesy to force me to do something I can clearly do without any help?"

Itachi stopped outside her door before looking down at her, "it's alright to show weaknesses every now and then. It's part of being human. Imperfect is the way we were meant to be."

She sighed sadly. Her friends had always protected her when she was in danger, but if the situation was reversed, she was always too weak to do anything. That's why she promised she'd continuously get stronger and never be weak again. She never wanted to be that helpless little girl again.

However, what Itachi said was true. She wasn't trying to be perfect, but she was definitely striving for the impossible to never show weakness. Maybe she was supposed to only be strong while on missions as a Shinobi or protecting people, and the rest of the time just be…normal.

Sakura smiled at the Uchiha before turning to pull him into another hug. "Thank you, Itachi."

He left one arm around her waist and brought the other around her shoulders in a loose grip.

"Aa."

She laughed softly at his familiar, and somewhat expected, response. Another moment passed before Itachi withdrew his arm and he nodded toward the door, a smile on his face. "Get some sleep, Sakura-san. I'll wake you in the morning."

Sakura removed her hold around his waist and smiled. "See you in the morning, Itachi."

He took a step back and withdrew his other arm before casting her a playful wink. "Careful getting into bed."

"I will," Sakura nodded and turned to open her door. Before entering, she craned her neck and returned the wink. "And if not, I'll have to depend on my rescuer again."

Sakura noticed Itachi's smile widen slightly in response. "As well you should," he replied before turning and making his way to his own door.

The pinkette stayed in her doorway, a smile forming that continued to widen as she watched her partner unlock and open his door then enter the room, his cloak and hair swaying behind him as he disappeared out of sight. She blinked and broke herself from her silent reverie before quickly retreating into her room and shutting the door.

However, Sakura instantly regretted moving as fast as it made the dizziness from before return. She didn't want to even attempt walking while she was this disoriented and instead dropped to the floor on her hands and knees and crawled to her bed. She slipped off her boots before climbing onto the bed and wrapping the warm covers around herself as she lied down.

"I get to make our tea tomorrow. As strange as it sounds, I'm actually looking forward to it," Sakura mused aloud as she closed her eyes.

Her mind then traveled to the memory from earlier. She scoffed at her own foolishness. "A lot of things I did when I was younger were just ridiculous. That was one of the most, I think. Just because you drink what another person likes doesn't mean they'll like _you_," she chastised to herself. As an afterthought, she added, "although, I never actually went through with it. I listened to my dad. The only thing that actually came from that idea was that I ended up liking tea more."

Sakura giggled quietly, "I wonder what Itachi would think if I told him that." Her mind then drifted into sleep as the exhaustion from the day claimed her.


	14. A Morning of Forgetfulness

Vigil of Sorrows

Chapter 14

"A Morning of Forgetfulness"

…..

_Sakura tapped her fingers against the trunk of the tree impatiently. Kakashi was _always_ late. Was it really so difficult for him to arrive on time? She heard a sigh behind her and turned to see Naruto sitting in the grass, an annoyed expression covering his entire face. He looked so ridiculous and his occasional shouts were really starting to get on her nerves. Why was he always so loud? _

"_Kakashi-sensei, where are you?! Dattebayo!"_

_Sakura glared at the blonde and pounded her fist against his head. "Be quiet, Naruto! He obviously can't hear you so stop yelling! It's annoying and completely unnecessary!"_

_Naruto rubbed his head as he stared at his teammate in confusion. "But…you're yelling, Sakura-chan."_

_The kunoichi scoffed and crossed her arms. "Unlike you," she began smugly, "_I _have a reason to raise my voice." _

"_No, Sakura-chan, I do, actually. What if…" he trailed off as his eyes widened in sudden realization before he lifted them to the treetops. "Kakashi-sensei! Kakashi-sensei, you're up there, aren't you? Are you spying on us today?! Is this some sort of endurance test?! Are you trying to test our ability to cope with impatience?! In that case, I accept the challenge, dattebayo!"_

"_Naruto, I don't think-"_

_Naruto cut her off as he continued shouting his proclamation, "And guess what else, Kakashi-sensei?! Teme isn't here to steal the spotlight this time, so that means you can keep your eyes on _me_ the whole time!"_

_Sakura gave up on her attempts to stop him. If he wanted to make himself look like a moron, then that was his choice. However, as he mentioned it, she glanced around and it confirmed that Sasuke definitely wasn't there. That was weird. _

"_Naruto!" _

_Naruto returned his attention to his pink-haired friend. "What is it, Sakura-chan?"_

"_Do you know where Sasuke-kun is right now?" Sakura asked, her voice portraying her concern. Ever since their return from that mission in the Land of Waves, she'd been worried about Sasuke. He could've died…and almost did._

_Naruto's eyes widened in sudden surprise before he quickly jerked his head to the side and crossed his arms. "I don't know…and I don't care."_

_The pinkette rose a suspicious brow. She knew the two of them hated each other, but they still worked together to free Kakashi from Zabuza, the criminal from Mist. During the entire tree-walking training, they had competed against each other and they said they had both made it to the top and Sasuke helped Naruto back to the house that night. The two of them had even fought Haku together. _

_She had thought, after all that, they would be on better terms with one another and it seemed like they were, but…in addition to her added concern for her crush, when they came back to Konoha, Naruto and Sasuke had been even more unfriendly towards each other. She came to the conclusion that something had happened during their battle in the Ice Mirrors, it was the only that made sense to her, but they refused to tell her anything. _

_Sakura sighed. 'I understand why Sasuke-kun didn't. He never tells me anything. But, Naruto usually can't keep his mouth shut. Maybe, since Sasuke-kun isn't here, and I hope it's only because he's running late, I can ask Naruto directly. I don't think I've tried to yet.'_

_The girl walked over to her blonde teammate before placing a hand on his shoulder and he turned to her. "Hey, Naruto, can I ask you something?"_

_Naruto grinned toothily and nodded. "Of course you can, Sakura-chan. Ask me whatever you want."_

"_Alright," she returned the nod with a sweet smile. "Well, how do I say this? Naruto, would you mind. I mean, would it bother you to-"_

"_Wait! Are you going to ask me to go on a date with you?!" he asked, excitement brimming from his features._

_Sakura glared at him and his smile instantly vanished. "No, Naruto. This is serious."_

_Naruto's expression abruptly changed from one filled with laughter and exuberance to one of complete seriousness, a rare thing for him. "Alright, I'll listen and you can ask me what you wanted to before I interrupted."_

"_Thank you, Naruto," Sakura responded before sitting on the grass and leaning her back against a tree. Naruto immediately followed suit and waited patiently for her to begin. She sighed, "I was wondering if you could tell me what happened between you and Sasuke-kun in the Land of Waves. Your behavior toward each other has been…more hostile since we got back and I know it has something to with that battle on the bridge."_

_Naruto dropped his cerulean gaze to the ground and watched the blades of grass sway in the gentle breeze. He remained like that for several minutes, a pensive look on his face. He then returned his gaze to Sakura with a wide grin. "It was a hard fight for both of us. We made many attempts to escape, but…Haku's jutsu was too powerful and there were needles flying at us from all every direction. Eventually, I passed out from the pain…and when I regained consciousness…" his voice trailed off as his expression became thoughtful once more and his gaze returned to the green grass._

_Sakura smiled. It was obviously hard for him to talk about. She wouldn't force him to say it if he didn't want to, so she pulled him into a loose, comforting hug. "It's alright, Naruto. You don't have to tell me anything else. I was just worried."_

_Naruto returned the hug and tightened it. Suddenly, the pinkette heard footsteps from behind her and she turned to see Sasuke walking casually toward the two of them. "Sasuke-kun!" she exclaimed with a grin, pulling away from the hug and running to him. _

_The blonde remained silent for a moment as he glared at Sasuke. "You're late, teme."_

_Sasuke grunted. "Hn. I was actually early today, dobe. The two of you are the ones who are late."_

"_What was that, Sasuke?!"_

"_Want me to repeat it…baka?" _

_The two glared at each other before looking away in opposite directions. Sakura frowned. They were doing it again. She, however, turned to Sasuke with a small smile. "What do mean we're late, Sasuke-kun?"_

"_He means, you two didn't show up at the proper meeting place," Kakashi said, suddenly standing beside the Uchiha._

_Naruto turned to his sensei, his mouth open in disbelief while Sakura stared at him in confusion._

_Kakashi sighed before shaking his head at them, "Obviously, the only one who remembered was Sasuke. I told the three of you the new place to meet would be the bridge by the forest."_

"_Hn."_

"_I don't remember that, dattebayo!" _

_Sakura dropped her head. She had forgotten…like Naruto._

Teal eyes slowly opened to the sun shining on them. A hand lifted to shield the bright rays. A slight breeze blew through the curtains, causing them to sway back and forth. Sakura crossed the room to the window and looked out it. She saw the morning light slowly creeping over the town along with the beautiful hues of blues and purples. 'Interesting. The sky is mine and Itachi's favorite colors,' she noted with a smile.

For some unknown reason, Sakura felt very content being in this strange land. At first, she assumed it was because this place reminded her of home, but the more time she spent there, the more she realized this wasn't the case. Yokusei wasn't anything like Konoha. When she accepted this fact, she was saddened because she missed her home, but she also felt…happy.

The Shinobi was happy and she knew it didn't make any sense for her to feel that way in this situation. However, that didn't change the truth. She was happy because it meant her contentment for this place was because of Itachi. The time they spent together in Yokusei for the past few weeks had been fun and memorable.

Sakura had already told Itachi this, but she felt it much stronger now. She was happy she ended up here with him. If this hadn't happened, she would have never met Itachi or experienced this with him.

They had discovered the missing component for the cure and would start distributing it to the villagers as soon as it was ready, which wouldn't take long. She was, once again, happy_ and_ sad. Happy that she had successfully found something to help these people and they would no longer have to suffer, and sad that…they would be leaving this place soon. Not because she wanted to stay, no matter how much she enjoyed this place, but because it meant her time with Itachi was closer to the end.

What would they do when they got back? As much as she tried to look past it, Itachi was a wanted criminal. She might never see him again. How would she feel if that happened?

"No!" Sakura suddenly exclaimed, forcing her mind to push away those unhappy thoughts. She would just not think about it. That seemed to work best.

She sighed before walking back to her bed where she found her boots and proceeded to slip them on. "I wonder if Itachi's awake yet," she mused aloud before the question was answered with a memory from last night.

"_Wake me up when you leave so I can have everything prepared when you return."_

"_I will also let you make our tea tomorrow morning."_

"_Then I shall dutifully fulfill the task, Snail-sensei. Expect a steaming cup upon your arrival."_

"_I will be looking forward to it."_

A smirk formed on the corner of the girl's mouth. "I must've woken up earlier than expected. Itachi doesn't have to come wake me now, but," Sakura shrugged, "I might as well let him." She then sat comfortably on her bed and brushed her hair as she awaited his arrival.

A few minutes passed until she heard three knocks. After setting the brush in her bag, she stepped off the bed and slowly walked toward the door. When she reached it, she proceeded to turn the knob and open it with a cheerful smile. "Good morning, Itachi."

Good morning, Sakura-san," he replied with a nod before a small smile formed. "You were already awake."

Sakura laughed and ran a hand through her hair, "looks like you caught me."

"Aa." A silence ensued during which Itachi looked away from the pinkette and to something behind her. "…I suppose I should go."

The Shinobi raised a curious brow at the Uchiha. Something seemed…different about him. He was acting strange today. She reached up and ruffled his hair, prompting him to return his attention to her. "What's the matter with you? You're acting weird, Itachi."

He was acting like he did during their first practice session. He wouldn't look at her and instead stared out at the sky. She knew something was different then, too, but he said he was just thinking. And this time, he was acting…awkward.

Itachi smiled in response. "How so?"

Sakura sighed, "well, you're acting awkward and somewhat….distant."

"…I didn't sleep well," he stated.

"Oh," she replied, dropping her gaze. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have accused you."

The girl heard Itachi sigh before she felt him poke her forehead. "I didn't take it as an accusation."

Sakura smiled before she walked closer to her partner and embraced him. "That's good, at least." Itachi responded by wrapping an arm around her shoulders and the girl's smile widened.

"Hey, Snail?" she asked.

"Hmm?"

"I could," she paused, trying to control the fear in her voice. "Go to the fish-man's house instead so you can get some sleep." Even though the thought of going there alone made her cringe, she wanted to help Itachi and if this was a way, then so be it. Besides, he would definitely do the same for her.

"I appreciate the offer, but that won't be necessary. You need to stay and set your equipment up, right? Also," he patted her shoulder gently. "You need to make that tea."

Sakura laughed, "of course. I promised to make it, didn't I?" Another thought had entered her mind with his comment and she found herself unable to choose an answer. It would be a difficult decision to make, either way.

"Aa," Itachi replied. "You did."

"Itachi…can I ask you something?" Sakura asked, looking up at him. Maybe he would have an answer.

"Of course," he stated.

"Well," she began slowly. "What you said before made me consider something. I know it might never happen, but what if…I had to make a choice between…the villagers or a large group of patients…and you? Who would I choose to save? The other would…die. Would I pick you over the villagers or the other way around? I have no idea." She smiled at him sadly, "what would you do if you were in that situation?"

Sakura watched his smile fade from his face and felt his hold around her shoulders slightly tighten. She never knew what he was thinking, but she could tell what she said had distressed him in some way. Maybe it would've been better if she kept it to herself.

No. It was better that she asked now. She knew it would bother her if she hadn't and it would've been inevitable that Itachi found out and she told him anyway. She always got upset when something was bothering her and it made her unable to concentrate on anything. This way, Itachi wouldn't have to deal with her when she was like that.

A small smile returned to Itachi's face. "In such a scenario," he began. "I would ask that you save the majority."

Her eyes lowered sadly. "That's what I thought at first, but…" she tightened her hold around his waist. "I don't know how I would deal with it if I didn'tchoose you. It would be my fault and I would be lonely. On the other hand, you wouldn't want me to choose your life over countless others."

"It wouldn't be your fault," Itachi replied in a gentle voice. "I would not make you decide something like that. If such was the case, I would willingly do so on my own." He paused a moment before continuing, "As Shinobi, that is what we were meant to do. We are here to protect the people we serve and sometimes that comes at the cost of offering our lives."

Sakura felt a single tear slide down her face as she nodded. "I know," she replied as her voice cracked. "You're a great Shinobi, Itachi."

"Sakura-san," she heard him say softly. The pinkette wondered what he would say. Would he tell her that she shouldn't cry for him or would he say goodbye and tell her to not forget the tea. However, these theories instantly vanished from the young Shinobi's mind when she unexpectedly felt Itachi's lips against her forehead.

Her eyes widened momentarily in surprise before she closed them, a small smile forming. A kiss on the forehead…that was something she had always wanted Sasuke to do. She had even fantasized about it once. What she had imagined, he actually ended up saying…except he didn't mean it.

"_You have a charming, wide forehead," Sasuke said, walking toward the girl._

"_What?" Sakura asked, lifting her head and seeing him come to a stop in front of her._

"_It makes me want to kiss it," he informed her, a smile on his face._

_Sakura continued to stare at him, her teal eyes locked with his black ones as she blushed._

_**ALRIGHT! IT'S A FAIRY TALE SITUATION!**__ Inner voiced._

"_Not," Sasuke said with a slight chuckle. "Only Naruto would say something like that."_

Sakura opened her eyes and looked up at Itachi, her smile widening. He always made her smile. She had wanted to be kissed on the forehead by Sasuke, but received one from Itachi instead. However, she didn't seem to mind that it came from him. In fact, as unbelievable and baffling as it was, she found herself preferring it.

Itachi pulled away before opening his eyes and looking to her. She lifted a hand to the place he had kissed her before her smile grew wider.

"Are you…alright?"

The pinkette nodded. "Fine," she replied in an airy voice. She then quickly ran her hands through her hair, trying to calm herself. "Why…did you do that?"

A small smile formed before the Uchiha shrugged, "I supposed it was simply because…" he tilted his head as he pondered something. "I wanted to."

"Because you…wanted to?" Sakura asked curiously, dropping her hands to her sides, having successfully returned her heart rate to normal. "Why?"

Itachi blinked and lowered his arm from around her shoulders. After a moment, he shrugged again, "there was just something about your forehead…that made me want to kiss it."

"There was?!" the girl probed excitedly, lifting her eyes to his.

He smiled before nodding, "Aa."

'_Reality turned out to be much better than any fantasy,' _Sakura thought with a grin before remembering she had been crying and hastily lifting a hand to wipe away the tear. She thought back to why this transpired. Why had she reacted in such a way to a simple statement? It didn't make any sense to her. It was completely ridiculous.

She suddenly felt awkward and laughed nervously as she backed away from him. "S-sorry about earlier. I don't know what came over me."

Itachi tilted his head slightly. "No need to apologize," he replied. "If you ever feel bothered by something, or feel the need to speak with me about anything," he smiled. "Don't hesitate. I'll listen."

Sakura smiled. Then there wasn't a reason for her to worry or feel weird about it. She reached up and patted his shoulder playfully. "You'll just be my favorite confidant, Snail."

"I anticipate the role," Itachi replied with an assuring nod before he sighed and his gaze again to the window. His gaze then returned to her, "Better get started on that tea."

The Shinobi returned the nod, "Right away, Sensei!"

The Uchiha turned before glancing back at her with a small smile. "I'll be back soon."

"See you then," she responded as she waved in farewell.

Itachi then turned back to the hall and made his way to the stairs, which he started to descend. Sakura smiled and glanced back at her door then to her partner's, knowing he kept his tea set in his room. She began walking toward it when she realized that he didn't give her the key to his room. She hastily changed her course and ran after the Uchiha.

The girl stopped at the top of the staircase and instantly spotted him. "Itachi!"

He paused in his steps and turned to her, his head tilted in question. "Sakura-san?"

Sakura sighed in relief and quickly approached him, descending the stairs two at a time. When she reached the Uchiha, she smiled slyly. "Did you forget something?"

Itachi furrowed his brows slightly before seeming to realize his mistake. He nodded, "Aa. It seems that I have."

As he walked past her, Sakura's eyes widened as she recalled the reason he was leaving to visit the fish-man. She shook her head and followed him back up the stairs and to his door. As he took out his key and began unlocking it, she asked, "Itachi…you forgot the book, too? You're really out of it this morning. A lack of sleep just doesn't agree with you."

The Uchiha looked to her with slightly widened eyes, "…were you not speaking of the book before? What else have I forgotten?"

Sakura shook her head again before walking toward him and ruffling his hair. "You're cute when you're confused," she stated with a smile. "Anyway," she continued, stepping back and meeting his gaze. "If you want me to make the tea then I have to go in your room, but it's locked and you didn't give me the key."

Itachi looked down at his key and a moment passed before he smiled. "If I give you my key," he lifted his gaze to hers once more. "Are you going to throw it out the window?"

Smirking, the Shinobi tapped her chin before shrugging. "That depends on whether or not there's a nice breeze outside and," her smirk changed into a sweet smile. "How long you're gone."

"So," he tilted his head, "you've resorted to blackmailing me, then?"

Sakura nodded. "Yep, and it'll work because I know you love me," she joked with a laugh before nudging him in the elbow. "Buddy."

Itachi blinked in response and appeared to be pondering something before he offered her another small smile. He then turned back to the door, which he proceeded to open and enter. Sakura leaned against the doorframe and waited for him to finish, allowing her mind to wander as she closed her eyes.

A smile formed as she recalled her memory from before. It was demeaning then being placed in the same category as her blonde friend because they had both been forgetful, but it was comforting knowing that Itachi could do the same thing. She laughed softly as she considered how wrong she'd been about him.

"Here you are," the Uchiha said as he handed the tea to her. "You can prepare it in here if you like, as I already have all of my equipment set out on the stove."

Sakura opened her eyes and looked to the stove before shifting her attention to him. "I think it'll be easier if I just do it in here," she answered with a nod.

Itachi returned the nod before walking past her and back into the hall. However, he halted in his steps and looked to his a moment before turning and extending it to the pinkette with another smile. "Just in case."

The Shinobi accepted the key and pretended to examine bot h sides. "Are you sure you trust me with it? This is what I'm using to blackmail you, after all."

"Aa," Itachi nodded with a smile, "because…well," he winked. "It's as you said." He then turned and gently pulled the door closed behind him before making his way down the hall and descending the staircase.

Sakura, again, watched him disappear out of sight, feeling slightly confused. What had he meant by that? What she said when? Was he perhaps referring to the joke she made about the blackmail? She nodded. It made sense. That would explain the wink he cast at her before leaving.

As the pinkette turned and reopened the door, another thought occurred to her. '_He seemed surprised by it at first, though. Why was that?' _Did he think, for a second, that it wasn't a joke and she was serious? She shook her head at the notion before shutting the door behind her and crossing to the stove. When it was full of water and set over the fire, the girl plopped onto Itachi's bed and waited for the water to start steaming.

If that was the case, then it would also explain his surprise when she said it. _Of course he was surprised. It's completely ridiculous. In that instant, he probably thought I was crazy for suggesting such a thing.' _She laughed before moving back to the stove to pour the hot water into one of the cups and placing the tea within. _'Hell, I bet I would think the same thing. That's such a foolish and senseless thought.'_

When the first cup of tea had steeped, Sakura repeated the same process for the next one. She set both cups on the nightstand, deciding to wait for Itachi before drinking her own, and leaned back against the bedpost.

She again closed her eyes and sighed contentedly, the familiar scent emanating from the room both calming her and allowing her mind to drift away from its current train of thought.

"_Alright, guys. That's enough for one afternoon," Kakashi called from his spot beside a tree. _

_The three Shinobi turned to him, all trying to catch their breath. They nodded and slowly made their over to him. _

_Naruto immediately fell to the ground when he under the refuge of the shaded tree, burying his face in the cool dirt._

_Sakura was tempted to join him, but insisted on remaining standing. She refused to lie in the dirt around everyone. Her parents raised her better than that._

_Sasuke rested his back against the tree Kakashi was currently standing in front of and slid down it to a sitting position. _

_Kakashi's visible eye closed like it always did whenever he smiled. "What's the matter with you three? You look like you just returned from a battle."_

_Sakura stared at him in disbelief. Was he serious?_

_Naruto lifted his head out of the dirt and flopped onto his back to point an accusing finger at his sensei. "It's your fault if we do, Kakashi-sensei! You've been making us do rigorous training nonstop since this morning!"_

"_Oh? It seems you still have some energy left, Naruto. Would you like to continue?" Kakashi asked, smiling at the hyper blonde._

"_I would, but my legs won't move, dattebayo," he confessed._

"_Hn."_

_Kakashi glanced then to Sasuke, sending him the same look. "What about you, Sasuke? Are you up to the challenge? Or," he pointed to Naruto. "Are you immobile like your teammate?"_

_Sasuke shot a glare to Kakashi before he shook his head and pushed himself to his feet once more. He held one hand against the tree as he smirked._

"_Sasuke-kun, you shouldn't push yourself too hard," Sakura advised, slowly walking toward him. "You should just rest. We've all had enough training for one day."_

_He only directed the glare at _her_ before turning and making his way toward the center of the field. He crossed his arms and looked back to their teacher, "whenever you're ready, Kakashi."_

_Sakura weakly slid to the ground and took his place against the tree._

"_What?!" Naruto exclaimed abruptly. "No, I won't stand for teme getting to train while I can't!" _

_Kakashi shrugged, "I can't control his actions, Naruto. If you have a problem with the situation, then do something about it that will turn it around in your favor."_

_Naruto scrunched up his face in concentration when his face lit up as an idea came to him. He turned back onto his stomach and crawled toward Sakura, who raised a questioning brow at him. "What, Naruto?"_

_He reached a hand out and patted one of hers before taking it in his own. "Sakura-chan, can you give me some food? Preferably ramen, but it's okay if you don't have any."_

_Sakura sighed before pulling her hand out of his grasp and reaching into her bag. She pulled out a bento box and handed it to him. "Just don't eat all of it."_

_The blonde took it from her hesitantly and stared at the contents in confusion. "Sakura-chan…there's not much food in here. Did you eat it already?"_

"_Of course not! Why would you think that, you idiot?!" Sakura demanded anger lacing in her voice._

"_Ohhh," Naruto stated, realization shining in his eyes as he grabbed the chopsticks and started eating the rice. "Then, that means you're dieting again, Sakura-chan."_

_Sakura glared at him. "Do you want the food…or not?" she asked through gritted teeth._

_He flinched before quickly shutting himself up with the food, which he devoured in a matter of seconds. He then placed the box in Sakura's lap and offered a "thanks" to her before standing and stretching his legs. "Alright, dattebayo! Now I'm as good as new, Kakashi-sensei!"_

"_That's wonderful. Now go join Sasuke in the field," the Jounin instructed. _

_Naruto nodded and grinned as he walked toward his teammate. "Did you think I'd refuse the challenge, teme?"_

_Sasuke smirked._

"_What, are you too scared to say anything because I might beat you this time? Well, guess what? I had food and now I'm more revived than you, dattebayo."_

_The Uchiha turned to the blonde and lazily pushed him back. Naruto stumbled and fell onto his back. He glared up at his teammate. "Sasuke!"_

"_Hn," he grunted before extending a hand down to Naruto. "You're not revived, dobe. You can barely stand. Go sit down and eat something else so you won't fall and get in my way." Naruto frowned but took his hand, regardless, and Sasuke pulled him back up. _

"_Alright, let's go," Kakashi announced, snapping the orange book shut that Sakura didn't realize he had been reading._

"_Why, Kakashi-sensei?" she asked curiously._

"_Because," he smiled and pointed toward the river. "We're going to relax for the rest of the day." _

_Sakura awarded him a disbelieving stare. "Relax? We've never relaxed before."_

"_There's nothing wrong with it, Sakura."_

_She smiled and nodded. Sensei was right. They could use a break._

_Naruto thrust his fist into the air with excitement. "Yay, dattebayo! I'm going swimming!" _

_Sakura considered it a moment before shaking her head. Perhaps she could work on a tan, but…they never seemed to work. "Yeah, let's go," she shrugged, trying to make herself stand only for her legs to give out and cause her to sit down again._

_Naruto walked toward and placed a hand on her shoulder, "are you alright, Sakura-chan?"_

"_I'm fine," she retorted bitterly, shoving his hand off._

"_Sakura-chan, I was only trying to help."_

"_I don't need your help, Naruto."_

"_But you-"_

"_Sasuke-kun?" Sakura called loudly, cutting him off._

_The Uchiha turned to her with an unreadable expression. "Sakura."_

_The pinkette smiled at him and blushed slightly, "could you help me?"_

_His eyes narrowed before he turned and ventured toward the river. _

"_Teme, where are you going?! Sakura-chan needs you!" Naruto yelled, running after him. He stumbled, but Sasuke grabbed his arm before he fell and he regained his balance. "She asked you for help."_

_Sasuke glanced back at her and glared, "she said she didn't need _your _help. I'm just assuming she doesn't need mine either."_

"_Good point, teme. Sakura-chan is capable of taking care of herself," Naruto agreed, nodding enthusiastically before walking behind Sasuke and pushing him to the river. "Come one then, dattebayo. I'm going to beat you at both swimming and fishing."_

"_The fishing poles are already down there," Kakashi added as they disappeared down a hill._

_Sakura dropped her gaze to the ground. Why didn't he want to help her? He just acted like he wanted nothing to do with her. He had basically abandoned her just now…along with Naruto. Was that what would always happen? He would leave her and she would be left wondering if he'd ever come back? Was she really that annoying to him?_

"_Sakura?" Kakashi asked, pulling her from her musings._

_She tilted her head to her teacher sadly. "Yes, Kakashi-sensei?"_

_He smiled, "would you like me to help you?"_

"…_yes," she answered with a nod. He dropped to his knees and pulled her onto his back before walking in the direction the boys had gone._

"_I hope this taught you something, Sakura."_

"_It did, Sensei," she replied sadly, lifting her head to see Naruto running around with two wooden fishing poles and a toothy grin on his face before Sasuke tripped him and snatched one out of his grasp. Naruto then proceeded to push the Uchiha into the river, laughing uncontrollably. "It did."_

The irony of that situation was almost laughable. She wondered if he would one day leave her and never come back. She had been right, as it turned out, though it was completely different from what she had imagined. She thought it would only be for a short period of time and that he would always come back. In that regard, she had been wrong.

Sakura opened her eyes and wiped the tears from them. She needed to stop thinking about that. It only served to make her sad and she didn't want to feel like that anymore. She looked around the room for something to take her mind off it and her eyes landed on the two steaming cups of tea by the nightstand.

Itachi. Would _he _return every time? She didn't want to go through something like what happened with Sasuke ever again. She and Naruto were definitely going to bring him back, but that wouldn't erase the actions of the past. She still had to experience the same feeling of abandonment and sadness.

Her mind drifted back to Itachi. He was different than Sasuke. Maybe, just maybe…he wouldn't force her to go through that again. She sighed and rubbed her eyes as she felt more tears on her face. She swallowed and stepped off the bed, walking toward the window and lifting it open, the wind gently brushing across her face.

The breeze helped her clear her mind and she glanced around the room. "What can I do while wait?"

As she asked this, there were three short knocks on the door. Sakura smiled and absently fixed her hair as she walked toward it before twisting the knob and seeing Itachi standing on the other side. "Welcome back," she greeted happily.

The Uchiha nodded before he held a bushel of plants out to her, "will this be enough? He gave me everything he had. I think there are about twenty of them here."

Sakura's smile fell and she dropped her gaze to the floor. She hadn't set up her equipment like she was supposed to. It was just not a good day for either of them. They were forgetting everything, apparently.

"…were you sleeping?"

Her eyes widened before she gazed up at him and nodded. "…yeah."

Itachi tilted his head and she noticed that there was a small smile on his face. "I see."

She resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at him again and instead sighed before grabbing his hand. "I made the tea."

"Did you?" Itachi asked as his smile widened, stepping into the room. "You had me worried there for a moment."

Sakura rolled her eyes at him before pulling him to the nightstand. She indicated the cups, "you can have whichever you want. I didn't drink one yet."

The Uchiha set the plants in his hand on the table and the girl realized she hadn't answered his question yet. She glanced at him as he was taking a slow slip of tea and smiled. She hoped he liked it.

He lowered the cup before looking to her with another smile, "this is perfect, Sakura-san."

Her smile widened, "thank you, Snail. I made it exactly like you always do. Oh and," she pointed to the Yucca plants. "That's more than enough, but that's good because we don't know if we'll need more at some point."

Itachi seemed to process this information before asking, "After we're finished here, would you be alright with going to see if Gregor needs any assistance in his town?"

"Of course," Sakura replied with a nod. "They're probably sick as well considering the widespread source."

"I was thinking the same thing," Itachi replied before taking another sip of tea.

Sakura looked to her own cup and took a sip as well. A silence fell before she returned her gaze to her partner. "Itachi, since you're my confidant, do you want to know a secret? My parents would be the only other people that know."

Itachi was silent before he slowly nodded, "Only if you feel sure you want to tell me."

"…I didn't always like tea," she began hesitantly, looking down at her cup filled with the liquid. She paused and lifted her gaze to his. His eyebrows were slightly creased and she decided it would be best to continue. "I preferred coffee, still do, but that was the only hot beverage I would drink when I was younger. However, one day I found out from my friend, Ino, that my crush liked tea. I didn't believe her at first because she was usually wrong about his few likes, but I saw him drinking tea later that day and it confirmed it."

Itachi tilted his head slightly, "so, you started drinking it in the hopes that this _crush _of yours would realize a similarity and take an interest in you?"

Sakura nodded, "pretty much. My mom completely supported the plan, but my dad didn't. I listened to him, but I had been drinking tea for about a week before I told them and I realized that I liked it anyway."

He smiled, "interesting how things turn out sometimes, isn't it?"

"Yeah," she returned the smile. "It is. If it had turned out differently, we might not be here right now enjoying delicious cups of tea."

"True," the Uchiha replied with a nod. "Though, I try not to place much emphasis on what might have been. There's only the present and the future."

"I think you told me something like that before," Sakura stated with a laugh.

"Probably so," he shrugged.

"Thank you for that, by the way," she told him with a smile. "It really did help."

Itachi simply nodded. He appeared to be thinking about something again before taking another sip of tea.

Sakura finished her own tea and set it down on the nightstand before sitting comfortably on the bed. "What's on your mind, Itachi?"

He then looked to her before releasing a soft sigh and setting his cup down as he took a seat next to her. "I wanted to ask you something concerning my little brother but," he glanced away. "It might upset you."

"Oh," she said, dropping her gaze. She had decided before to not dwell on the things regarding Sasuke that might upset her, but that hadn't been effective lately. Maybe what Itachi wanted to ask wouldn't be such a bad thing.

Regardless, she would let him ask her. It seemed that he had been wondering whatever it was for a while and his only reserve was that he didn't want to upset her. Sakura grasped his hand and turned to him with a small smile. "I'll be fine. What's your question?"

Itachi nodded before a momentary silence ensued. "You…have feelings for him," he stated and paused, waiting for her response.

"Yes…" she nodded slowly. "I have since I was eight."

The Uchiha again nodded and another short silence followed. "Now, my question is this: Does Sasuke…return those feelings? Has he ever?"

"No," she replied sadly. "Maybe. I don't know. I thought he did at one point when we were twelve and he almost kissed me, but he didn't seem to return them at all at any other time. Now that I think about it, he didn't even seem to remember that happening. We _are _Shinobis and have the ability to disguise ourselves as other people, so that probably wasn't even him," she paused before returning her gaze to Itachi, fresh tears in her eyes.

All these years, she'd hoped he returned her affections and that instance made her cling stronger to it, but had it been fake? He _did_ seem to be acting strangely at the time. And she saw him again right after he ran away, his attitude completely changed. Was the first Sasuke a fake and the second, the one that called her annoying, the real one? He always called her annoying.

However, the night he left, she asked if he remembered what he said that day. When told her about solitude and how it was painful. He had replied saying he didn't. Had that been a lie also? If that was the case, then the second was definitely him and that could only mean…the one that almost kissed her was the fake.

"No. He didn't," she finally stated, tightening her hold on his hand.

Itachi's eyes returned to hers and he smiled slightly, "that's regrettable."

"Yeah," Sakura nodded as the tears started falling down her face. "Ever since…he left, I kept trying to move on and continuously told myself that I didn't feel that way for him anymore, but all it did was made me think about him even more. When I began training under Tsunade-sama, it helped take my mind off him and I even started forcing the thoughts out of my mind so I wouldn't feel sad anymore. Ever since I came here, though, they keep surfacing and I'm wondering if I made the wrong choice in deciding not to deal with it sooner."

Itachi inhaled slightly and Sakura patiently waited for his response. "Pushing aside unpleasant thoughts can be helpful," he began. "However, there are also times in which suppression can negatively affect us. Rather than trying to discard and ignore them, one should simply remove from the forefront, while not entirely avoiding their presence. You should always return when you can and sort through your feelings and thoughts, that way they are not simply repressed but controlled."

He offered her another smile. "There's nothing wrong with allowing your feelings to remain loyal to someone however, in doing so, you have to prepare yourself for the possibility that the other person may not return them."

Sakura shook her head, "it's no longer a possibility. I know now that Sasuke-kun definitely doesn't return my feelings."

"If that is really the case then," Itachi responded. "Either accept that state of being and allow those emotions to remain regardless, or…let them go and continue to regard him as a friend that you truly care for."

"I think both would be hard but," Sakura began as she lifted a hand to wipe away her tears. "It wouldn't be good for me, or him, if I continued the way I have been. Thinking back, he only seemed annoyed with me when I was chasing after him and we were actually good friends when I wasn't. I think that's the better choice for both of us because I _do_ want to be friends with him again when Naruto and I bring him back."

Itachi stiffened a moment before turning to her with slightly widened eyes. "You're…trying to bring him back?"

Sakura nodded, "we're always trying. We even tried stopping him from leaving. I talked to him, but it didn't work. I realized afterwards that Naruto was probably the only person who could bring him back. He told me that he also tried talking to him before they fought…and Sasuke won. We haven't seen him since, but we're determined to save him before the end of these six months."

After another moment of complete silence, Itachi's features softened and his smile returned. "He'll come back to you," he assured.

"Yes, he will," Sakura replied. "And that snake bastard will be dead."

"Aa," Itachi nodded.

Another silence fell before the Shinobi smiled at the Uchiha. "Thank you…for talking about this with me. I actually needed it," she stated before laughing softly. "You know, you could've been a counselor if you wanted."

Itachi laughed in response. "If I wanted, perhaps." He then looked to her, "and I appreciate you permitting me to ask you about that."

"What are friends for?" Sakura asked, lightly punching his arm. "Feel free to make me your confidant right back, Snail." _'Also, that makes one for today.'_

He nodded, "I'm…considering it. However," he the tapped her forehead. "Not yet."

"Alright," she replied with a smile before leaning on his shoulder. "Just know that I'll always be here if you ever want to talk."

"Aa," Itachi responded. "I know, Sakura-san." He glanced down at her and smiled, "don't fall asleep again, we have a cure to create and," his smile widened. "I _know_ you haven't set anything up yet."

"You've been calling me out on things all morning," Sakura replied with a momentary pout before it shifted into a smile and she slowly closed her eyes. "Besides, I'm not tired anymore. I'm…happy."

He sighed and paused briefly before resting his head on hers, "I suppose it's alright then."

"Hell yeah."

Itachi laughed softly in response and her smile widened.

'_I think it's moments like these that I will cherish forever.'_


	15. Secrets

Vigil of Sorrows

Chapter 15

"Secrets"

…..

The cure, which was made according to Sakura's earlier specifications, had been ready to test by the time the sun had reached its peak. The only thing left to test was the effects of the cure on an actual person with the disease. Fu Blood, surprisingly, volunteered himself for the position, saying "he _was_ the mayor, after all." When they administered it to him, the cure proved to be a success; the process began with a reduction of the fever and the elimination of the skin inflammation before it began to completely destroy the pathogenic parasite and cured the man of the illness.

After Fu Blood had positively received a dose, the rest of the villagers lined up for their own. Luckily, for every one person they only needed a single administration, and this way Sakura and Itachi ended up conserving the supply.

The effects of the vaccine progressed faster with sleep, so after each person had been injected with their share and the sun had already started setting, they all scattered respectively in the direction of their own homes. The only people that remained were the Uchiha and the kunoichi as they stood beside the well and watched the streets become deserted.

Itachi looked down at the girl with a smile. "That went rather well, Sakura-san," he stated as his smile widened slightly. "Considering."

"Considering how much they resisted when we were collecting the blood samples," Sakura replied with a nod.

"Aa," he responded. "And considering the simple matter of how uncertain they always seem to be," the Uchiha paused before tilting his head, "you've really gained their trust."

"I'm not certain that's the _only_ reason they were so willing," she shrugged. "These people learn through example and will even follow another person's if that person is one of their own."

"Are you speaking of the marshal?"

Sakura cast her partner a smirk. "Aa."

Itachi's onyx eyes narrowed slightly. "You know, Sakura-san…" he turned to her and was silent a moment before continuing. "Those people tend to follow your example on almost every occasion." He tilted his head, "therefore, by your own proclamation…"

"Snail…are you trying to tell me…" she forced a sweet smile. "That I'm…crazy?"

"Hell yeah," the Uchiha replied.

Sakura glared at Itachi before punching him in the arm and walking down the street, not caring were it lead. She was only hoping that the punch hurt.

'_Who does he think he is, comparing me to those people? Well…he's my friend and all…and not all of the inhabitants are that bad.'_ Sakura sighed. Had she overreacted? Maybe…yes. She _had_ come to the conclusion that she might be crazy a long time ago, but did he have to point it out?

'_And since he did, that means that's how he viewed her. Did he see her as some random crazy girl who had a crush on his brother for the longest time and was finally trying to get over it?' _Sakura realized then he never called her _his_ friend. She had made it very clear that was how she regarded him and yet, she had no idea what he thought of her.

"The sane," Itachi said from beside her, "Are…overrated and entirely predictable."

"I suppose," Sakura replied with a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders. "I guess I haven't really noticed."

She heard him sigh beside her and turned to see him looking up at the sky. "What's on your mind, Sakura-san?"

The pinkette stopped walking and kept her gaze fixed on the ground. Why was _she _the one being open about everything? True, he probably had good reasons for not opening up to her, but could he not tell her something as simple as whether or not he viewed her as a friend? "Just one thing is on my mind, Itachi…and it always seems to revolve around _you_."

A moment passed before Itachi asked, "And what, exactly, would that be?"

Sakura sighed before lifting her eyes and meeting his gaze. "What…do you think of me?" If he said he considered her his friend, too, then that was good…but if he said she was merely the partner he required to escape this land, then…she supposed that was fine, too. '_Wait…no, it's not. No matter what conclusions I make, he definitely considers me as something more than that." _

"Allow me to ask you this, first," Itachi tilted his head slightly. "If I did not consider your company favorable, do you believe I would have singled you out as the one person to whom I continue to portray my true self?"

Sakura returned her gaze to the gravel. She hadn't thought about that before. Was that true, though? Was she really…the _only_ person? He _was_ more guarded with himself when they first met, but it seemed that, as they spent more time together, they had gotten considerably closer.

The Shinobi laughed. She had _definitely_ overreacted this time. What she thinking? He never opened up? That was just not true. Sure, there always seemed to be something more to what he said and it constantly felt like he had this big secret he was burdened with, but that wasn't enough cause for her to suddenly doubt him.

Thinking back to his original question, she again looked into his eyes before abruptly rushing forward and wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. "I'm sorry, Itachi. I was being overly sensitive and not thinking straight. You don't have to answer my question, but in response to _yours_, I just hadn't considered it that way before."

Itachi sighed and placed an arm around her shoulders. "You don't have to apologize for that. I understand," he paused. "Somewhat."

"I think you're…" he began slowly after another short pause, "definitely the most interesting and," she felt his hold on her shoulders tighten slightly, "_craziest_ person in both my past and present acquaintance."

Sakura smiled and tilted her head to see his face. "So you don't think it's a bad thing that I'm crazy?"

"Quite the contrary, in fact," Itachi responded with a shake of his head.

Her smile widened before she lowered her head against his chest. "If that's the case," she began sincerely. "Then I think you're somewhat crazy yourself."

"You think so?"

"Yes. And I have the perfect example to prove it," she paused as her smile shifted to a smirk.

"Do you?" the Uchiha asked. "Let's hear it."

"The cake," she answered matter-of-factly.

Itachi laughed softly. "Aa," he nodded. "I do believe you're right, then."

Another silence ensued before he broke it by asking, "Would you mind if I ask you something?"

"Of course, Snail," Sakura replied before she giggled. "Ask me whatever you want."

Itachi nodded. "When we first met, in that forest clearing, you told me that I was not the only person in possession of a 'special' power, that you had one also. One inside of your head." He glanced down at the pinkette. "What did you mean by that?"

Sakura's eyes widened. How had he remembered that? …it didn't matter. He was asking about Inner Sakura, but…how did she explain something like that to him?

She sighed. "I…don't even know how it works, honestly," the girl began slowly. "It's completely involuntary, but it blocks people from entering my mind. Like any mind control techniques or…genjutsu." She again lifted her head and offered the Uchiha a smile. "I guess a way to explain it is it's like I have a usually dormant split personality that's extremely aggressive."

Itachi smiled slightly in response. "I've…never heard of anything like that before," he stated.

"I didn't expect you to. It's a very strange and unusual power," Sakura replied as she returned the smile. "Although," she laughed, "I've only used it twice."

"Meaning you've only had genjutsu attempted over you on two occasions?"

"No," the girl shook her head. "Genjutsu was only once. The other time was when Ino-pig tried to use her Mind Body Switch Technique against me."

"Anything to do with the mind then," the Uchiha replied.

She nodded, "that's the conclusion I came to."

"I wonder if you could more readily control that ability someday," he mused.

"Only time will tell, Snail," Sakura stated before raising her arm and tapping his forehead with a grin.

Itachi looked to her and his eyes conveyed something she didn't recognize before he smiled. "Aa," he nodded.

Sakura lowered her arm and silently stared back into his eyes. Something was different. "Are you alright, Itachi?"

"Of course," he replied with another nod. "I was just…thinking." He then lifted a hand and rested it on the top of her head, over her forehead protector before she felt him run his finger across the center of the steel, where the Konoha leaf was emblazoned. "You'll be a great Shinobi one day, Sakura-san."

"You really think so, don't you?" Sakura asked before tilting her head slightly. "Well, if that's true, then a great part of that accomplishment will be thanks to your training."

The pinkette then again lifted her own hand and hesitated a moment before gently placing her hand against his cheek. She offered him a sad smile. "You really miss Konoha, don't you?"

Itachi's eyes widened slightly and a silence fell between them. Thoughts started to arise about Itachi in regard to Konoha before she forced them back, deciding to think about them later as her sensei had advised.

The Uchiha sighed and nodded as a smile crossed his face, "Aa."

"Not much has changed in the past eight years," Sakura suddenly stated in an attempt to lighten the mood. "Well, except that we had to rebuild once about three years ago when that stupid snake bastard attacked."

Itachi again nodded. "I was there about three years, while they were rebuilding. My Akatsuki partner and I were passing through the area and stopped at the Dango café."

'_Oh. That's right. That was around the time that Kakashi-sensei…'_ she thought before hastily forming a smile. The last time they talked about that Dango café, they had planned that 'date' to a teashop. "Really? Then you can easily understand what I was saying," she replied before tilting her head curiously. "What's your partner like?"

"Well," he tilted his own head in response. "Kisame's from the country of Mist. He…is easy enough to travel with as he's a primarily simple person. However…he has an aggressive nature and a certain inclination to violence, very easily excitable in combat situations. I've had to intervene on more than one occasion."

"Did he listen to you every time?" Sakura inquired.

Itachi smirked softly, "begrudgingly, yes."

'_A smirk, huh? He doesn't do that very often.' _Sakura laughed lightly at the thought. "It makes it easier on you and also towards the completion of the current task if your partner listens to you."

"Aa," he nodded, "it certainly does."

Sakura offered him a warm smile before lowering her hand from his face and instead placing it over his own hand resting on her head. "I think I prefer having a partner with me rather than doing everything myself. Not only is it helpful and things can be much more productive, but I really enjoy the time we spend together."

Itachi smiled in return and seemed to hesitate before moving his hand over hers and lowering them both. "So do I," he revealed and Sakura's smiled widened because she knew he meant it.

"Well," she nodded, "that's good." Sakura then glanced briefly at the darkening sky before sighing and returning her gaze to him. "Do you think we should leave in the morning…or tonight? Either is fine."

"Hmm," he mused thoughtfully. "On one hand, it might be a good idea to witness the overnight effects of the medication and leave in the morning, but on the other it might be wise to get a head start and reach the other village sooner. We should probably head back this way regardless on our venture to Kanashimi, just to make absolutely certain that the cure was successful."

"I agree. We should definitely do that. In that case, we should probably leave tonight. We don't even know how far the disease has spread in the other village."

'_Come back here before going to Kanashimi? I guess it was inevitable that we would eventually go there.' _It wasn't that she disliked everything about Kanashimi. She liked the people there, especially the family she stayed with and had grown fond of, but it was their mindset and…the beasts that made her hesitant to return. She felt a sudden chill run down her spine at the thought of the Jisatsu, but she willed the memory back and a sudden thought occurred to her.

"It's decided then," Itachi replied.

She answered with a nod and paused briefly before deciding she might as well ask. "Snail…do you still have that notebook?"

The Uchiha's brows furrowed slightly. "Aa," he replied before reaching into his cloak and retrieving the notebook, which he then held out to her.

Sakura accepted it with a small smile before hastily flipping to the page about the Yucca plants. _'Only grow in the neighboring land of Kanashimi,'_ she read silently before snapping it closed and handing it back to him.

"So the fish-man has been to Kanashimi before."

"Aa," Itachi nodded. "He has," he replied as he placed the notebook within his cloak. "He goes there once a month to gather his plants."

"I see," the Shinobi nodded. "Did he…ever tell you anything about that place?"

"A little," he said. "Though in his typically cryptic manner. Gregor, also, has spoken of it."

"…and what did they say?" she pressed.

Itachi shrugged slightly, "Primarily that it is a desolate, cold sort of place. One in which death prevails and where there are creatures who feed on the bodies of the many suicide victims."

Sakura shuddered in response to that last sentence before closing her eyes momentarily to compose herself. She looked back up at him and nodded. "That's true. It is. During my short stay there, I witnessed…one of the beasts…eating a corpse," she paused another moment before continuing. "I also saw a man…falling to his death and land dead beside me…before being hauled off for the beast's next meal."

There was another short silence before Itachi stated, "You dread returning there."

"For that reason…Yes," she nodded. "The people there are fine. They're actually very normal yet interesting people, but …"

Their lifestyle was just difficult for her to deal with. It still baffled her how readily they accepted the deaths of the people close to them. Not even just deaths…suicides. And those suicide victims were just dragged away like they were merely trash in the way rather than actual human beings who had thought death was their only escape.

Sakura sighed, "They're just too accepting of the morbid way their land is run. I understand their reasons, but it's still hard to believe anyone could easily think something like _that_was alright."

"Well," Itachi began. "If Kanashimi is truly as horrific as your description suggests, then such a mindset is the only thing standing between those people and insanity. If death is all around them, then a certain level of desensitization must take place or they would undoubtedly break. It does not mean they no longer care or that they are completely accepting of the way things are. However, they have to cope somehow."

She knew he was right. Of course he was. Itachi seemed to always be right about everything. "I know. I was told something similar when I asked one of them."

"_Because it's the way things are, Sakura. I told you on that first night that you shouldn't judge a person before you know them and needed to look deeper didn't I?"_

"_That's why you trusted me and let me stay in your home."_

"_Exactly. I waited until I knew_ who _you were before passing judgment. Well, when you live in Kanashimi, you have to think the complete opposite when it comes to death. You shouldn't think too much about it because that will only cause you pain. We don't mourn the dead. They're gone and that's how it is. Nothing anyone does is going to bring them back. The reason me and the rest of Kanashimi are so accepting of everything is because life is easier that way. I'm not saying it's the best thing in the world, but that's how we are raised. All of our negative emotions are kept locked away, never to be touched. That's our nature. After seeing death as often as we have, we learn to ignore it."_

"_But why would you choose to live like that? It sounds so cruel!" _

"_It's who we are, Sakura. Accepting of fate."_

Nobu had already explained it to her and now Itachi had to. She also seemed to recall a similar conversation she had with Itachi. It seemed like she needed a constant reminder because she either forgot or was being too sensitive again. It was probably a combination of the two.

"I was told they lock away their emotions about it and never regard them. I don't understand how that's even possible. How can a person ignore those feelings?"

Itachi smiled at her and brushed her bangs across her forehead. "It's because they have to."

Sakura nodded, "alright. That seems to be the only thing that makes sense anyway." She inhaled a deep breath before slowly releasing it. She then returned his smile and ruffled his hair. "I'll just remember the good things about Kanashimi from now on."

"As well you should."

"Anyway," her grip on his hand tightened slightly, "we should start our preparations to leave."

Itachi nodded, "Aa." He then turned and began walking towards the inn. "All we need to do is gather our belongings."

"And let the bartender know we're leaving," Sakura added as she quickly moved to fall in step beside him.

Itachi again nodded before a silence fell as they walked.

…..

As they approached the gate, they were met by Fu Blood standing it with a pair of scissors in his hand. "Leaving are you?"

Itachi stopped to look at the man, "Aa, we're heading to the next settlement in order to offer them our aid as well."

"May I offer you a haircut before you go?"

Sakura sent the man a glare. "You most certainly cannot." She pulled on Itachi's hand and continued, "Thank you for your help during this crisis. Let's go, Snail."

Fu Blood frowned and snipped the scissor as he continued to stare at Itachi's perfect hair. "Hurry back then, travelers. I'll be waiting." He then glanced to his right, "Shut-up, Manister! You should be sleeping! No, no, I don't want to hear it."

'_Is he yelling at that imaginary friend of his again? Hell yeah, he is. Does he realize how unhealthy that can be for him?'_

Itachi then looked to her before continuing past the man toward the dock, where the fish-man was standing, like always. Fortunately, he wasn't pounding a fish like usual. In fact, he didn't even have a fish in his hand but was instead staring out over the dark waters.

The Uchiha made his way over to the head and stopped beside the man before tilting his head. "Planning your next trip to Kanashimi?"

His eyes widened briefly and he looked to Itachi, before they appeared to relax. "Oh, it's you, stranger."

"Aa. We're leaving, Bogford-san," Itachi replied. "I appreciate what you've done to help us out."

'_Hmm,'_ Sakura mused. He was always so formal with people.

"Appreciate? Help?" the man questioned. "Nothing of the sort has been done by me."

Itachi sighed. "We'll see you on our way back through, take care."

The fish-man offered no response and his gaze shifted to Sakura, "he's peculiar and you're timid. How odd. Yes, very odd indeed."

Of course she was timid. The man freaked her out. He was a very disturbing character. '_What did he mean, though?'_ Sakura tilted her head to the side, "How are we odd?"

"It's just the way," he stated before returning his attention to the sea. "Just the way it was, just the way it will ever be. Odd one and odd alike."

Sakura rolled her eyes. The man never made any sense. Why did she even try? "Well, thank you for that. We'll just be going now."

"Yes, go. Go on and continue," the fish-man replied. "Continue on and on and on and on until you both are no longer odd."

Itachi offered the man a small smile and a nod before looking to the pinkette, "come along, Sakura-san."

"Aye, Sensei!" Sakura answered with a grin.

Her partner then turned to descend the docks and continued to the field they had trained in so many times.

"Let me know if you get tired, and we'll stop," Itachi informed her.

"Like hell I'll get tired. Why don't _you_ tell _me_?" Sakura cast him a wink.

Itachi smiled. "Aa," he nodded. "We should arrive just before dawn then."

The Shinobi nodded. "Alright then, let's go," she stated before releasing a yawn. _'Damn.'_ "Itachi…you jinxed me."

"So soon, Sakura-san?" Itachi looked to her in amusement. "Even _I_ was betting on another hour or so."

"Shut-up, Snail," she frowned. "I'm not tired." She again yawned. "It was just a yawn."

"Aa, which means your mind is trying to stay awake," the Uchiha explained.

"And its attempt has been successful because I'm still awake. Hell yeah," Sakura replied.

He tilted his head, "you admit you're actually tired, then?"

"No!"

Itachi smiled in response before shifting his attention to the field around them. Sakura followed his gaze and smiled. She had learned a lot here. Snail had trained her and it seemed…a lot happened between the two of them in this field.

Sakura tilted her head curiously as she considered this thought. This field was the first place he had poked her in the forehead, and ever since that time it had become a display of affection between the two of them. As friends, of course. This was also where she had first held his hand and they slept under that tree together.

The first time he appeared awkward and would only look at the beautiful sky had been here as well as…the first time he had allowed her to hug him. It seemed like every time something happened here they crossed some sort of invisible barrier and that led the way to it being a casual and common thing for the two of them.

After they went to Gregor's village and cured the inhabitants, then they would come back to this town once before they set off for Kanashimi. Would they come back here or go straight on to Churitsu? She assumed the latter as they both wanted to complete these tasks they had been assigned so they could finally go home.

She still found half of herself dreading their return, but there was nothing she could do about that anyway so she might as well think about what was occurring right now. "Itachi," she began slowly. "I'm really going to miss this place."

Itachi looked to her then and offered a reassuring smile, "We'll return shortly, Sakura-san. As soon as we're finished with Gregor's village."

Sakura sighed before lifting his hand and observing the crimson ring on his finger. She absently traced the character for 'crimson' etched into it before releasing another sigh. "That's not what I meant."

He tilted his head, "no?"

"No," she shook her head. "I'm mainly going to miss Yokusei and this field, but I will also miss this entire place. Kanashimi, Yokusei and Churitsu."

"Aren't you looking forward to returning to Naruto-kun and the others? To your home in Konoha?"

"Yes, of course I am," Sakura replied. "I've wanted to return since the beginning and that still hasn't changed, but I know when I return…" she looked to Itachi with a sad smile. "You won't be there like you are here. I'll miss seeing you and not just all the time, but at all."

"Aa, that may be true," he nodded. "However, as promised, I will get some tea with you first."

"Hell yeah," she responded. "And you will definitely keep that promise, won't you?"

The corners of Itachi's mouth curved upwards slightly then, "Of course, Sakura-san."

Sakura grinned. She knew he meant it. He would keep every promise he made or try to the best of his ability. There was a lot she didn't know about him, but she could proudly say she knew that much about him. The smallest things meant a lot, anyway.

"It's going to be a great date, Snail."

The Uchiha nodded, "Aa, I'm sure it will be."

"Do you think," she tilted her head. "We should go as soon as we get back or wait a day? I guess it really depends on the time we get back, though."

"It depends entirely on that, I'm afraid," he nodded. "However, if we have time," he paused before another smile formed. "I should like to spend as much time with you as possible."

"I think," Sakura stated as she tightened her grip on his hand. "I would like that, too."

Itachi then looked up to the sky as a comfortable silence ensued. She smiled at him. He appeared to be very peaceful at the moment. What was it about Yokusei that did that? Was it the magnificent sky or the beautiful landscape altogether? Perhaps. It couldn't possibly be the people. They weren't around them enough in order to have that effect.

Whatever it was, it could certainly dissipate any worries a person had and make it seem like they didn't exist. For a while, at least. It would always come back eventually, but for now, she found herself feeling that same serene sensation.

'…_Wait a minute.'_ "Itachi…what do you mean 'if we have time'? Is there something pressing you have to do upon arrival?"

The Uchiha's gaze lowered briefly before he relaxed, "I…have to meet with the Akatsuki Leader. He will undoubtedly require an explanation for my absence."

"Is that all?" For some reason, it didn't seem like he was being completely honest with her. He was keeping something from her. Maybe he just didn't want to tell her…or couldn't. "Never mind," Sakura offered him a smile. "Is the Akatsuki Leader demanding when it comes to that sort of thing?"

"Aa, he can be," Itachi mused. "He wants his members to be always professional in both manner and conduct."

Sakura laughed, "And you fall under both categories."

"Well…for the most part," Itachi chuckled softly.

"Oh? What did you do? Stop for tea and cake all the time?"

Itachi cast her a sidelong glance before his smile widened, "you know me all too well, Sakura-san."

"Of course," she replied with a smirk. "That's what tends to happen when you're with a person for so long. You start to pick up on things, Itachi."

"That's true," he nodded before seeming to ponder something.

Sakura tilted her head, "what are you thinking about?"

The smile remained on his face, "how crazy you are."

"I thought we already established that," she laughed.

"Aa," Itachi replied. "I'm merely contemplating it again."

"Do you do that a lot?" Sakura asked.

He nodded, "I do."

She smiled, "yet another thing I'll keep in mind about my thoughtful Snail-sensei."

"As well you should."

Sakura nodded before another yawn escaped her. "Damn sleep. Why won't you just leave me alone?"

Itachi sighed as he paused in his steps and turned to her, "it's been a long day, Sakura-san. You need your rest."

She shook her head, "I'm not tired."

"Yes you are," he insisted gently before glancing about the open field.

"I already told you I wasn't," Sakura replied stubbornly. "Stop worrying about it. You already agreed that we needed to get to Gregor's village quickly."

"Aa, I did," he nodded. "However, without sleep you will not be fit to do much of anything once we arrive there."

Sakura scoffed, "then it's a good thing I'm not sleep-deprived or anything." She released his hand and continued walking in the direction of the village. "Now let's go."

She heard Itachi sigh behind her. '_Fine. If he won't follow me then he can deal with it.'_ And he had the nerve to say she was tired. Who was the one not moving?

"I'm tired, Sakura-san. Therefore, I'm going to stop here for the night."

She halted mid-step and sighed before turning and walking back to him. "Why didn't you just say that earlier? We could have spared ourselves this whole situation."

"Why, indeed," he replied as his eyes slightly narrowed.

"It probably didn't cross your mind because you were tired," she stated as she patted his shoulder.

"Aa," Itachi nodded. "That_ must_ have been the case."

Sakura tsked him before sighing, "What to do with you?"

The Uchiha simply offered her a small smile before turning and walking a short distance away. He then knelt on the ground and removed the bag from his shoulder before opening it and moving the items around inside.

Sakura watched him curiously as he placed the bag on the ground and removed his cloak before he rested his head atop the satchel and placed the cloak over himself. She smiled and walked towards the same area. When she reached Itachi, she bent over him as her smile grew. "I might as well get some rest, too. There's nothing better for me to do while you're sleeping anyway."

He nodded, "you're very wise, Sakura-san."

"Thank you," she smirked. "I appreciate the praise, pupil." She then dropped her bag in the grass behind her before moving to lie down next to the Uchiha, placing one arm behind her head and staring up at the dark sky.

"You have a cloak you can use."

Sakura turned her head and looked at him with a confused expression. "Why? It's only _slightly _chilly."

Itachi shrugged, "suit yourself."

She took a moment to consider what he meant. The cloak could be used as a blanket, like he had done, and the same could be said about her bag being used as a pillow. But she didn't _need_ a blanket. Perhaps a support would be nice.

The Shinobi sat up and glanced behind her before sighing. Even though she refused to admit it, she was actually tired. Too tired, in fact, to get up and retrieve her bag. She looked down at Itachi and shrugged. She then scooted closer to him before resting her head comfortably against his chest and wrapping an arm around his waist. "Well, if you insist."

He noticeably stiffened before she heard him sigh and he placed an arm around her shoulders. "Goodnight then, Sakura-san."

Sakura smiled and closed her eyes. "Yeah. Good night, Itachi."

'_This is one more thing I would consider a moment between us.' _She wondered if there would be more. Not just here, but anywhere. How much time did they have left together?

With that last thought, Sakura drifted into a deep slumber.


	16. Thoughts of Black Birds

Vigil of Sorrows

Chapter 16

"Thoughts of Black Birds"

….

The distance to the walls and crumbled arch of the small village continued to decrease as Sakura and her partner traveled to the destination. Villagers were roaming through the streets in various directions. They didn't appear to be as affected by the disease as the inhabitants of the previous village. Sakura sighed in relief. That was a good sign.

The tree that stood in the center of town seemed to have changed since their last visit as it was now cream-colored. The pinkette cocked her head to the side curiously. '_Did the color change?'_ She shrugged, deciding it didn't make a difference. The scenery was still as beautiful as ever.

The Shinobi glanced at the tree again. The off-white petals floated off the branches in a slow, serene motion, giving the illusion of silky cream falling from the sky and splashing against the ground. She shifted her gaze to Itachi and smiled. Soon his eyes met hers before he returned the smile.

"Hey, Snail, do you ever put cream in your tea?" Sakura inquired.

His smile widened as he tilted his head. "Aa, sometimes. It depends on the tea."

She laughed softly, "Does Jasmine fall under that category?"

Itachi shook his head, "No. I don't prefer it that way. It takes away from the taste."

"I suppose," she shrugged. "And the tea that you add it to needs the cream to better the flavor."

He nodded, "I agree. I find it works best with the simpler and more basic types of tea."

"Now sugar," Sakura began, waving her index finger back and forth. "Is a different matter. I don't really like my tea to be sweetened…or my coffee."

"Well on that," Itachi shook his head. "I have to disagree. Sugar is always a must."

"Well you can disagree all you want," Sakura smugly placed her hands on her hips. "_I_ still don't like it."

The Uchiha shrugged, "you don't have to agree. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion."

"You're right," she replied. "Opinions change with each person and we just have to accept that difference. Right, Sensei?"

"Aa," he nodded. "That's right, Sakura-san."

Itachi then looked to the left and Sakura followed his gaze and saw a weird man approaching. He had his hand raised in front of him and… '_Is that man flicking him off?! How rude?!'_

The man lowered his finger before the rest formed a 'zero.' "You're late," the bastard said, coming to a stop. "Do you have what was promised?"

Did Itachi make some sort of deal with this man? Why would he do something like that? This crazy person didn't seem like he could be trusted.

The Uchiha nodded, "I have brought your plant." He then held a hand out to the Shinobi as he looked to her. "Can I have one of the remaining Yucca samples?"

Sakura narrowed her eyes suspiciously before unzipping her bag and removing on of the plants. She then held it out, but didn't give it to her partner. "Why do you need one, Itachi?"

"This man demanded tribute when I first arrived," he stated. "Tribute in the form of a single Yucca plant."

"Tribute? What the hell for?" she demanded, glaring at the questionable man.

"It was simply something he asked for in exchange for my being allowed into this village," Itachi replied.

Sakura continued to clutch the plant as she eyed the man. Why would he need a _Yucca_ plant? That was a very specific thing to ask for and to simply be granted permission to enter a village. Who was he to demand something like that at all? It's not like _he_ was in charge…right?

She straightened before bowing respectively to the man. "I apologize for my rude conduct. I didn't realize." The girl held the plant out to him, "here."

The man didn't move. Only a frown appeared on his face. "Who are you? I don't recall asking for anything from _you_."

Sakura sighed as she instead gave the plant to Itachi. "He did ask _you_, Snail."

That man…was a bastard. She was simply trying to be polite and what did he do? He Blatantly disregarded it.

The Uchiha smiled and accepted the sample, "thank you, Sakura-san." He then turned to the man and the bastard instantly grabbed the plant with a certain possessiveness.

"You have done as I had asked, late though it may be," he placed the sample in his pocket. "You are now free to enter and you will not be bothered."

"I appreciate the privilege," Itachi nodded.

The crazed man then suddenly turned around and retreated into what Sakura assumed, and hoped, was his own home. He then turned back to Itachi and held up three fingers with a smirk.

The Snail responded by smiling slightly and returning the gesture before the man moved further inside and was finally out of sight. Itachi then lowered hand and looked to Sakura. "Ready?" he asked, tilting his head.

Sakura frowned. "Yeah. Sure," she replied dryly before walking forward. She heard Itachi's footsteps behind her as she continued towards Gregor's house.

"Is something bothering you, Sakura-san?"

She stopped in front of the door and clenched her fists. That bastard didn't even know her. What right did he have to act that way? What the hell was his problem? She didn't care if he was the village leader or whatever; there was no excuse for his behavior. '_Hell no, there wasn't!'_

Sakura inhaled slowly, attempting to control her anger, before releasing it and turning to Itachi with a forced smile. "Of course not. Why do you ask?"

He sighed, "I can tell when you're upset."

The Shinobi scoffed and turned back to the door. "Well, I'm not upset. Come on, we have to talk to Gregor."

"Sit with me, Sakura-san."

Sakura looked back at him and saw him sitting idly on the doorstep. "No. What the hell are you doing? This," she pointed behind her at Gregor's house, "is where we need to go right now. You can rest inside."

The Uchiha met her gaze and simply tilted his head in response. "We have some time."

The pinkette groaned before slowly walking towards her partner and plopping onto the step beside him. She leaned forward and placed her arms across her legs. "What do you want?"

"I would like you to tell me what's bothering you."

Sakura frowned before fixing her gaze on a building on the other side of the street. "I already told you. Nothing is bothering me."

"Aa, you did. However, I don't believe you," he replied simply.

Her eyes narrowed into a glare as she thought about that awful man. "I don't care if you believe me…I don't have to tell you anything."

Wait. Didn't she recently announce that Itachi was her confidant? Then why was she acting like this? Was it because she wasn't sincere when she said that? No, that wasn't it. She had been completely honest when she decided that. Then why?

It was because that bastard pissed her off and…she didn't want to admit it. Most of all to Itachi. Maybe…that wasn't what she should do, though.

"You're right. You don't have to say anything," he responded. "I'm merely asking as your friend, that you confide in me."

Sakura sighed. He was right…of course. "I know and I'm sorry. I was just being stupid." She turned to the Uchiha and smiled slightly. "You _are_ my friend and I _did_ say I would confide in you." She lifted a hand and patted his shoulder, "you were right. I was upset."

Itachi returned the smile, "was it Snake-skin?"

She averted her gaze to the ground, "yeah."

"Were you offended that he refused your offer?"

"If you already know, then why are you even asking?" she asked.

He tilted his head, "I'm confirming."

Sakura smirked and lifted her eyes to his before ruffling his hair. "You can go ahead and consider it confirmed, Snail," she stated. "It's ridiculous for me to get upset over something that man did, though. I'm fine now. So, don't worry about it anymore."

The ironic thing was that talking to Itachi was what made her feel better.

Itachi smiled in return. "Well then," he nodded. "I suppose the matter is settled then."

She reached an arm across his shoulders and pulled him into a side-hug. "I suppose it is."

The Uchiha returned the gesture by lifting an arm around her before a moment passed and he slowly rising to his feet. He then held his hand out to her. "We should speak with Gregor now."

Sakura nodded before taking his hand with a smile, "excellent idea, Snail-sensei."

He cast her a wink before pulling her up to a standing position. After a moment, he turned and knocked thrice on Gregor's door.

It didn't take long for the door to be opened and the owner of the home greeted them with a wide grin.

"You've returned!" Gregor exclaimed.

"Aa," Itachi replied with a nod.

"Come in," he directed them inside the house.

Sakura raised a questioning brow as the man continuously looked between her and Itachi and sometimes down at their entwined hands. Was something wrong with him? She looked at his appearance briefly and noted that he didn't appear to have contracted the disease. Then what was it?

As they entered the house, the Shinobi glanced down at their hands and frowned slightly. Was there something off with her hand? She didn't see anything different, so that wasn't it. Did her hand look even smaller compared to her friend's? She inwardly sighed and resigned to simply not know as she tilted her head back up to the man.

Gregor closed the door and turned to them, a wide grin still on his face as he continued to focus his attention on the two of them.

The way he was looking at them made her feel slightly uncomfortable and she grudgingly removed her hand from Itachi's grasp.

The man's smile seemed to wane slightly in response before he motioned for them to sit, "how about some tea?"

Itachi nodded before moving to take a seat at the table, "that would be great."

Sakura took the seat beside him and a smirk formed when she glanced at her partner. "Do you happen to have any cake, Gregor?"

The Uchiha tilted his head as he arched a brow at her.

"Sorry, I don't," the man stated as he prepared the tea.

"That's alright. However," she faux-pouted and placed a hand over Itachi's. "Too bad, Snail."

"Are you teasing me, Sakura-san?"

She lifted her other hand and tapped two fingers against his forehead, "of course not, Itachi."

"Hmm," he mused thoughtfully. She noticed his eyes shift to Gregor briefly before returning to her. He then removed his hand from under hers and wrapped it securely around her shoulders.

"Gregor," he began, catching the man's attention. "We've found the cure and have come to help your village. We suspected that it had spread here as well."

Sakura blushed and dropped her gaze. He was doing this on purpose. He must have noticed how uncomfortable she was earlier. '_Hell no,'_ she thought, looking at him again with a sly smile. If he was trying to get back at her for teasing him, then she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of victory.

"Yes, Gregor," she stated, wrapping an arm around Itachi's waist before resting her head against his shoulder. "Is everyone in the village sick besides you?"

"Yes," he replied as he smiled at them. "Unfortunately, it's quite awful too. Seems the symptoms are a fever, a skin rash, and abdominal pain."

The smile instantly vanished from her face and she furrowed her eyebrows in concentration. "Those are the same symptoms as the other village, which means we won't have a problem with the cure. We just need to administer it to everyone…and teach them how to purify the water so this doesn't happen again."

Gregor walked towards the table and set their steaming cups in front of them before proceeding to grab his own. He then took a seat and lifted the tea to his lips as he appeared to ponder what she said. "I can help you with showing these people how to properly prepare the water, however," he shook his head. "There are other settlements, and all surely under the influence of this illness."

Sakura nodded in agreement, "that's probably the case. The pathogen is in the water and it can spread quickly, but how do we get the cure to all of them?" She lifted a hand to her chin as she considered a possible solution.

"The courier perhaps," Gregor began thoughtfully. "He should be coming through here this afternoon. We could write down the instructions for the process as well as sending him with a supply of the cure. He makes his rounds to all of the other villages and should be effective in delivering it to them."

Itachi shook his head, "The inhabitants we have encountered required a complete and detailed demonstration. Even then, it took them a considerable amount of time to grasp the idea. On top of that, they are also way of the medication itself. I'm afraid it will take a great deal more than a mere delivery and inadvertent instruction."

Gregor seemed to deeply consider what he had been told before exhaling. "I will do it," he nodded. "I will accompany the courier to all of the settlements and take the explain everything."

"They might discover you," the Uchiha stated with slightly widened eyes. "How are you going to pull it off? Besides, Sakura-san and I have taken on the responsibility required for this task."

Sakura briefly pondered her partner's first statement before remembering that Gregor was originally from Kanashimi. He must have been hiding here to escape that place. Maybe he didn't want to deal with all the death anymore. It was understandable.

The man smiled, "I have a scenario in mind. A prophet who has gained the insight required. They will think I was divinely inspired with the knowledge and therefore more inclined to readily accept my help." He shook his head, "and I want to do something purposeful. Something that my late wife and child will be proud of. You both need to return to your own land, that is what you should primarily focus on."

'_What? His wife and child died. That's so sad.'_

Itachi sighed in apparent resignation before nodding slowly. "If that is what you want, then I will not deny you the assignment."

"Thank you," Gregor smiled happily.

The Uchiha looked down at the Shinobi. "Are you alright with this, Sakura-san?"

"If it's what he wants to do," she looked to Gregor with a warm smile. "Then I won't stand in his way." She then shifted her gaze to meet Itachi's, "I have no objections, Snail."

He nodded as he looked to Gregor, "I supposed it's decided then."

"Good," he replied, taking a sip of his beverage.

Itachi glanced down at his cup before lifting it and taking a drink.

Sakura sighed before removing her arm from his waist and sitting back in her chair. "And yes, Itachi, I was teasing you," she smirked before sipping her own tea.

The Uchiha tilted his head with a smile and paused before withdrawing his arm from around her shoulders.

The pinkette returned the smile and glanced briefly at Gregor before grasping Itachi's hand. "Are we going to start curing people today, Snail?"

"Aa," he nodded. "As well as demonstrating the water purification process. We will leave the rest to Gregor after that and make our way to Kanashimi, hopefully by this evening."

"Alright," she nodded. "So, we're trying to finish as quickly as possible. We're going to end up spending considerably less time in this village. I guess that will make up for lost time."

She didn't consider it time they lost, however. More like time they had gained. The thought that they were heading to Kanashimi soon meant they were already halfway closer to going home…and everything else that would follow.

Itachi simply nodded again, "I believe it's for the best."

Sakura smiled sadly. '_Maybe…it is for the best.'_

* * *

'_Why isn't the well inside the town?! Sooo inconvenient!' _Sakura thought irritably as she stood underneath the tree with cream petals along with the Snail and Gregor. Of course it had to be outside the wall. The other town's well was in the center. This one instead had that tree in the middle. '_Well, it's a pretty tree and I like it…but still! These people, I swear!'_

Itachi had explained to her that it would be easier to gather the villagers here to conduct the purification demonstration and she eventually agreed. Now they stood at the base of the tree, the Shinobi's materials and a bucket of water behind her, as the people assembled around them.

Sakura took a deep breath before she started her explanation of the cure's purpose and its effects. She then proceeded to administer it to the cautious people, who didn't fail in showing their obvious reluctance. The bastard, Snake-skin as he was called, portrayed contempt for the antidote before Itachi explained the base component was the Yucca plant.

The girl was certainly grateful that he somehow obliged, although it didn't change her opinion of the man. She still didn't like him at all. After the cure had been given, she requested they also stay for the water purification process. When they returned their attention to her, she began the simple demonstration.

The hour dragged on as she repeated the procedure until the people finally understood and took their own portions of the clean water. Sakura sighed in relief. She only hoped they wouldn't forget the next day. Of course, it didn't seem likely, but these people could be unpredictable sometimes.

Sakura glanced to her left and spotted Itachi conversing with Gregor. She smiled slightly before leaning against the tree and tilting her head to the beautiful sky. This might be their last day in Yokusei together. She had grown so used to seeing those familiar hues above her and…become fond of the company.

She looked at the Uchiha briefly. Every day she woke up seeing him; Him and his beautiful black irises and perfect hair. Soon, they would disappear from her sight…probably forever. She sighed before closing her eyes. What the hell was she thinking about now? Why did she continue to dwell on that? It wasn't going to change anything.

The pinkette stretched her arms over her head before lifting her eyelids and making her way towards her partner. She stopped beside him and Gregor, absently twiddling her fingers through her hair as she waited for them to finish their conversation.

Itachi glanced at her then. He tilted his head and arched a brow before looking to the villagers who were deserting the street and walking in the direction of their homes. "They were somewhat easier than the last group, weren't they?"

"Maybe they were just crazier last time," Sakura shrugged.

"Hmm…" Itachi mused. "I wonder about that."

"Regardless, we have successfully cured them and they know how to cleanse their own water. That's what really matters," she stated.

He nodded, "Aa."

"So," Sakura pursed her lips in thought. "What's the rest of the plan, Snail?"

"How about you have dinner with me at the inn's café?" Gregor offered. "It will be my treat. You can consider it a farewell gift."

"Dinner sounds nice," she replied before looking to her partner. "Itachi, want to have dinner with Gregor?"

The Uchiha nodded in response before turning his attention to the man, "seems we are in agreement. We'll follow you."

"Excellent!" Gregor exclaimed before turning and motioning for both of them to follow, "right this way."

Sakura smiled before reaching down and grabbing Itachi's hand, "come along, Snail."

He returned the smile and simply nodded before following Gregor. Her smile widened as the man led them past several houses and towards a small building before Itachi opened the door and stepped inside. The Shinobi glanced around the cozy room and noticed there were only a few tables present.

Gregor led them to a table beside a window. Itachi sat in one of the chairs and Sakura took the one beside him before taking her hand once more. She again looked around the café before fixing her attention on Gregor. "What do they have here?"

"Well, Miss Sakura," the man replied with a smile. "They have all sorts of things."

"Well," Sakura replied. "What's good that you would recommend?"

"I don't come here that often," he shrugged. "When I do however, I usually stick with the soup."

"Soup, eh? That sounds good," she nodded before turning to Itachi. "What are you getting?"

The Uchiha shrugged, "I'm not sure yet, Sakura-san." He glanced down at his menu and appeared to peruse the choices.

Several moments later, an elderly man approached their table who rubbed his hands together anxiously. "You need sssomething?"

"Yes!" Gregor nodded with forced enthusiasm. "I will have the soup of the day."

"Hahaha!" the man suddenly laughed. "Of course, of course, of course." His smile then instantly vanished and he looked to Sakura. "You?"

She smiled politely, "I will have the same."

The man then focused his gaze on Itachi. "I will just have some spiced rice."

He then turned and ran off towards the kitchen, almost colliding with the door before he pushed it open and disappeared inside.

Sakura shook her head at the man. '_Crazy._' She then looked out the window and to the colorful sky. She noted that there never seemed to be any birds in Yokusei. She could hear Itachi and Gregor's voices, but wasn't concentrating on what they were saying.

The Shinobi thought back to the conversation she had with the Uchiha when she asked his favorite animal. She smirked as she recalled that they both favored a bird species. She attempted to count the number of times she had seen a crow in Konoha before dropping her head in defeat. It was impossible to remember. They were such a common and mysterious animal.

Crows seemed to hide in the shadows and only emerged when the time was right. They were very intelligent birds, after all. They probably had a great amount of patience.

"_Hey, Daddy?" a five-year old Sakura asked, as she sat beside her father on the couch. She had a steaming cup of hot chocolate held securely between her hands while he chose a glass of red wine._

"_Yes, Sakura?" Kizashi offered his daughter his undivided attention._

"…_Why are crows so mean?" she hesitantly asked. Earlier that day, she had been playing under the tree outside their house when a crow suddenly flew down from the upper branches and towards her. She had ducked just before it attacked her._

_Kizashi smiled. "Sakura…crows don't attack out of spite," he began gently. "It's an innate defensive ability that everyone, both animals and humans, carry within themselves. For example, if someone attacked me, I would most likely defend myself. It's merely a natural response."_

"_It didn't have to be so scary. I wasn't intentionally trying to harm it."_

"_You surprised it, is all," he laughed softly. "In fact, I have another theory behind its actions. Follow me, Sakura." He then proceeded to rise from the sofa and grab his daughter's hand. She placed her mug on the side table before jumping onto the floor beside her father._

_Kizashi led the pinkette outside and stopped underneath the tree, examining the higher branches. "I thought so!" he exclaimed, a look of triumph crossing his face as he looked at his daughter. _

"_What is it, Daddy?" Sakura inquired curiously, rising to the tips of her toes to get a better look. _

_He laughed again before easily lifting her onto his shoulders. "Look, Sakura. Do you see that?" he asked, pointing to something between the two highest branches._

_Sakura leaned forward slightly before an excited smile stretched across her face. "It's a nest! That crow is a mother?"_

"_Precisely," Kizashi nodded with a proud smile. "Parents also have the natural instinct to protect their children. Granted, this sometimes doesn't show with all parents, but I believe that it resides in everyone, no matter who they are. As humans, I think we are born with the desire to protect."_

"_Protect?"_

"_Yes…protect. Why do you think it's so hard for people to lose a loved one? They always wanted to protect them. Some drastically more than others."_

"_Lose a loved one?" Sakura tilted her head to the side in confusion. "What does that mean, Daddy?"_

_Kizashi sighed, "I hope you never have to find out."_

_The black crow then flew into the tree and landed on the branches. It walked towards its nest and looked back at them, almost suspiciously._

_Sakura smiled sweetly at the creature. "I'm sorry about earlier, Mr. Bird. I wasn't trying to hurt your children."_

_Kizashi withheld another laugh as he placed his daughter back on the ground and grabbed her hand before leading her back to the house._

Sakura smiled. She loved her Dad. He was such a good parent to her. When she got home, she was going to run up to him and wrap him in a tight hug. Maybe her Mom would want to join in, as well. Never mind if she wanted to or not, Sakura was going to embrace them both lovingly. She only just realized how much she actually missed them.

Hearing her mother's lectures on society and etiquette and gossiping about villagers. Listening to her father as he taught her another meaningful life lesson. Sitting with both of them at breakfast as her mom complained about the coffee while her dad simply read the newspaper and offered offhanded responses. Laughing with her dad whenever her mom contradicted herself, which she did almost all the time.

Sakura held back a sigh. She really was lucky compared to most people. Her parents were still alive, and not just one, but both. She argued with her mom on so many occasions, but she at least had a mother who she could do that with.

Naruto grew up without knowing his parents. He didn't even know who they were.

Gaara, too, had been scarred by his childhood spent without a mother and a father who didn't give a damn. Not only that, they had both been shunned and hated because they were Jinchuuriki.

Sasuke had lost his entire family and suffered by himself.

Sakura tore her gaze from the window and rested it on her partner.

Itachi had lost them, too.

They were the unlucky ones. They were alone.

'_The solitude…you can't even compare it to when your parents get mad at you."_

No wonder Sasuke said she didn't understand. There was no way she could ever know what that was like.

"_Protect?"_

"_Yes…protect. Why do you think it's so hard for people to lose a loved one? They always wanted to protect them. Some drastically more than others."_

"_Lose a loved one?" Sakura tilted her head to the side in confusion. "What does that mean, Daddy?"_

_Kizashi sighed, "I hope you never have to find out."_

Her dad didn't want her to ever experience anything like that. He wanted to protect her, like so many people did for those they loved because, she assumed, it was one of the hardest things a person would ever have to deal with.

Sakura smiled at the Uchiha beside her. Even though that was true, he was still able to smile and laugh and even make jokes that made her feel foolish. How did he do it? She pushed that last thought away. It didn't matter. What mattered was the fact that he c_ould_ be so positive. It was admirable, really.

The pinkette tightened her hold on his hand as her smile widened. She realized how strong he really was. Not just in skill, but in willpower. She held back a smirk. Maybe…he would fit in with the people in Kanashimi.

Sakura thought about something she hadn't considered since they left Churitsu all those weeks ago. Curing the villagers of the illness…was one of the two tasks assigned to them by the Leader. She had often entertained the thought that they were closer to going home, but never mentally linked it to that. She had legitimately _wanted_ to save the people. Helping people; that was probably the only thing she ever did that wasn't somewhat selfish.

The girl replaced this thought with others of Kanashimi. What would it be like when she returned? What would be the task they were required to complete? Perhaps they could visit the Tachikawas first.

'_Yes,' _she mentally agreed. Itachi had informants here in Yokusei and that family was the one she had in Kanashimi.

"Itachi?"

The Uchiha smiled in return. "Hmm?" he tilted his head and gently tightened his own hold over her hand.

"I know where we can make our first stop when we go to Kanashimi," she replied enthusiastically.

"Oh?" he asked, arching a brow. "Where is that?"

"When I spent that first week there," she began. "I stayed with a family. The Tachikawas were the ones who told me everything about that place. I'm sure they could give us a clue where we should begin with the next task."

Itachi nodded, "I don't have any objections. We can go and see them, if you like."

"The Tachikawas?" Gregor asked curiously and tilted his head as he seemed to recall something. His eyes then widened, "ah, yes. I would often buy vegetables from them at the market. They are good people."

"Yes," Sakura nodded. "They are. They even saved me when I was attacked by one of the Jisatsu."

Gregor nodded, as a smile formed. "Well, that was certainly a good thing." He winked, "wouldn't have wanted anything to happen to you after all, Miss Sakura."

"Thank you, Gregor," she grinned. "I am very grateful to them."

"Of course," he replied before lifting a spoon and dipping it into a bowl of soup in front of him.

Sakura blinked and tilted her head before looking down at the bowl in front of her. "When did our food get here?"

"A little while ago, Sakura-san," Itachi stated.

"Oh!" Sakura's eyes widened in realization. "I didn't even notice."

"We still have to work on that," he winked. "Don't we?"

The girl rolled her eyes, grabbing her spoon and placing it in the soup. "I already started working on my manners," she returned the wink. "Sensei."

Itachi simply lifted his fork and took a bite of his rice before his eyes drifted to the window. Sakura followed his gaze and smiled as she remembered the crows. She held the spoon to her lips and sipped the soup as she glanced at the Uchiha. He really did remind her of a crow.

* * *

They stood by the broken archway as they face Gregor, who appeared to be on the verge of tears. Sakura had already written detailed instructions for him for both the purification process and the proper administration of the cure. She had also left the rest of the medicine's supply with him as well as the remaining Yucca plants.

The man extended a hand to Itachi who accepted the gesture and shook his hand with a gentle smile.

"It was well met, Itachi," Gregor said before then offering the same hand to Sakura. "You as well, Miss."

Sakura smiled at the man, taking his hand and shaking it. "Same to you, Gregor. You've been a great help."

The man withdrew his hand with a nod and stepped back. "Best of luck to you both and farewell. If you ever find yourselves here again, be sure to stop by."

Itachi's smile widened, "Aa, we definitely will." He then turned and offered the man a small nod, "farewell then."

Sakura held up her hand and waved, "Good bye, Gregor."

She watched as the man then turned slowly and began to make his way to his house. The Shinobi admittedly didn't know the man that well, but she knew she was going to miss him.

Itachi looked to her then, "ready?"

"Yeah," she nodded, turning to face the village's damaged entrance. "Let's go, Snail."

Sakura then stepped forward and started walking across the rubble, careful not to trip over any loose debris. When she was descending on the other side, the pinkette smirked smugly before her foot slipped into a crack and she fell forward, moving her arms protectively in front of her face as she landed on the ground.

There was a slight stinging in her left arm and she felt sore, but it didn't feel like she had broken anything. She heard Itachi rush towards her and kneel down beside her, "are you alright, Sakura-san?"

She nodded as she pushed herself off the ground and into a sitting position. The Uchiha's onyx eyes rested on her arm and his brows slightly creased before he hesitantly extended his arm forward to place it over the source of the stinging. "The cut isn't too deep," he explained as he observed her limb. "But should be cleaned to avoid infection."

Sakura's eyes widened and she abruptly lifted her arm. There was a minor scrape and there wasn't much blood flowing from the wound, but the Snail was right. It needed to be cleaned promptly or risk an infection. She had to deal with various injuries as a medic-nin and a handful that led to infection. Dealing with such a wound was definitely not desirable. "Thanks. That's a good idea."

The Shinobi pulled out her medical equipment from within her bag as well as a package of water and set them on the ground beside her. She then proceeded to procure gauze and a small bottle of ointment from the kit before twisting the cap off the water and pouring a small amount of the liquid over the cut. She dried her arm with the gauze before deftly spreading the balm over the scrape.

Sakura looked back at her satchel and sighed. She had forgotten to get something. "Itachi, can you grab a roll of bandages from my bag?"

Itachi nodded, "Aa." He reached inside the bag and removed the item before handing it to her with a small smile, "there you are."

She accepted it with a grateful smile before unraveling the white cloth and wrapping it around her forearm. She examined her work and smirked triumphantly then placed the materials back in their appropriate places.

Itachi tilted his head slightly before he stood and held his hand out to her. "Ready?"

"Of course, Snail," Sakura responded, patting her bandaged arm in assurance.

The Uchiha nodded, but remained silent. The pinkette gasped quietly when she realized she hadn't taken his hand yet. She hastily reached up and placed her own in his grasp.

He smiled before pulling Sakura to her feet and handing her bag to her. Sakura took it from him and placed it around her shoulder before grinning at her partner. "Shall we go, Sensei?"

"Aa," Itachi responded with a nod before turning. "You should probably clean the wound again when we stop for the night."

Sakura ruffled his hair with a giggle. "I was planning to anyway."

"Well that is no surprise," he poked her forehead and winked. "You are always so very wise, Sakura-san."

She rolled her eyes at him. "If that was true, then you, Itachi, would be a dumbass."

Itachi shook his head. "On the contrary," he began. "You may be wise but I," he smirked playfully. "Am a prodigy."

"Of course," she returned the smirk. "And here I thought you wanted to simply be called_ Itachi_."

"Aa, I do," he nodded. "However, despite what I may want to be _called_, that doesn't change my characteristics."

"Alright," Sakura laughed as she swung her arms back and forth. "So, prodigy of your clan, where are we headed?"

Itachi tilted his head and glanced at her. "Well, Littlest Shinobi of Konoha, we are headed to Fu Blood's village to examine the results of your medication one final time."

Sakura mentally agreed, but raised a brow at the nickname. "Littlest Shinobi of Konoha?"

"Aa," he nodded with a smile.

She scoffed, "I don't think it's very fitting, _Snail_."

"And why is that?"

"It's not true, that's why," the girl replied matter-of-factly.

"Hmm," he mused. "Perhaps not _literally_ but," he tilted his head. "You really _are_ quite small, Sakura-san."

"I suppose that's true," she laughed softly. "However," she playfully punched his shoulder, "you don't have to point it out, Uchiha."

"Oh," Itachi shook his head. "I see you've resorted back to using to using my surname. And," he shrugged, "I suppose I didn't _have_ to but…I wanted to."

"Yes, I am," she smirked. "And weren't you telling me I shouldn't be so impulsive? Does that not _also_ refer to you, Uchiha?"

He again shook his head, "I didn't say it on impulse. In fact, the thought actually comes to mind quite often. Also," the smile fell from his face. "It's _Itachi_, or _Snail_. Either will do, really."

"Alright then," Sakura grinned. "For you, and also so you can keep smiling, I will only use those names. It's a promise…Itachi."

In response, the smile returned to his face and he nodded. "I appreciate that…" he then tilted his head and paused before continuing. "…Sakura."

She grinned and grasped his hand again. "Just Sakura? Hmm…" she mused before her smile widened. "I like being called that by you."

His own smile widened and he nodded, "as well you should."

* * *

Several hours later, they stopped in a small area that was surrounded by trees and near an ocean bay. The snail was setting out the necessities to make their morning tea and breakfast.

Sakura smiled slightly. _'He really loves his tea.'_

He stood then and looked to her with his head tilted. "There's a stream through that section of trees, you should be able to clean your wound properly there."

The Shinobi turned and spotted the area he mentioned. She glanced at her bandaged arm and nodded, "it's about time I changed these anyway."

"Aa," Itachi nodded in agreement.

Sakura pulled the linen wrap from her bag before setting it on the ground. She then looked to her partner with a smile before pulling him into a hug. "I'll be right back. I think you should get some rest, though. You look tired."

Itachi smiled. "I believe I will," he stated, returning her embrace. "And Sakura?" he asked after a brief silence, as he looked down at her. "Be careful."

The girl released a soft sigh, "don't worry." She then rose up on her toes and gave him a light kiss on the cheek before pulling away.

Itachi met her gaze and remained silent as he tilted his head. He then gently brushed the bangs across her forehead and left his hand there a moment before lowering it with a small smile on his face. He nodded in the direction of the stream, "see you soon."

Sakura nodded and pulled away, "hell yeah, Snail." A smirk formed then. "And you'd better be asleep when I get back or I'll just have to force you," she stated, slightly raising her fist.

The Uchiha's smile widened as he shook his head. "That won't be necessary, I assure you."

"Good," she replied and returned the smile before quickly tapping his forehead. "Then there won't be any problems."

"Aa," Itachi nodded before motioning a hand. "Now then, off you go."

"I'm off then. Good bye, Itachi," she responded with a wave. She then turned and cheerily headed towards the stream.

"Bye, Sakura," she heard Itachi say behind her, causing her smile to widen.

The Shinobi walked several minutes before emerging from the line of trees. She spotted the stream directly ahead and made her way over to it. After unraveling the old bandages and setting them in the grass beside their replacement, she dropped onto her knees and leaned forward to place her arm into the water.

The cool water soothed the wound and Sakura sighed in contentment. The landscape was very peaceful. It was quiet, with the exception of the sound of the trees moving in the wind and the running stream. The moon shone brightly against the dark sky and the dark waters seemed to sparkle in the radiant light.

Sakura lifted a hand to her mouth as she released a yawn. She was tired also, but this came first, even before her desire to curl up next to Itachi and welcome sleep. She splashed some water on her face, the coolness helping to keep her awake and aware.

The pinkette sat down in the grass as she waited for her arm to dry. How could she forget the gauze? It was probably because she didn't think about it…or was distracted.

She felt her face heat up slightly as she remembered how she had given Itachi a kiss on the cheek. Why did she do that? Like he always told her, she was simply being impulsive…but why? She shrugged in response. There was no way she could answer that question. It just…felt right.

Sakura was broken from her thoughts by a sudden rustling behind her. Her instincts kicked in and she instantly jumped to her feet and pulled out a kunai, assuming a defensive position. A shadow emerged from the trees and the girl squinted in an attempt to identify the strange person.

The shadow had the build of a man and was tall. That was basically what she could make out in this darkness. The first person that came to mind was Itachi. It would be weird for him to just creep up on her and stand there in the dark, especially when he informed her he was going to rest. Also…it didn't really _look_ like Itachi.

Regardless, Sakura took a step closer and cautiously asked, "Snail?"

She heard a throaty chuckle come from the mysterious man and she tensed up. "I am not a snail, nor have I eaten the creature. However," he took a step forward and the moon shone on a tall, lanky man with long black hair and pale skin. "I have a theory that they go well with child and cabbage in a," he licked his lips, "delectable stew."

The man's voice sent a shiver down her spine and she tensed. "Cabbage…and _what_?"

He released another chuckle, "my apologies. I failed to introduce myself. My name…is Dimmur." He took another step towards her and she backed away. "And what is yours, my _sweet_?"

Sakura extended the weapon in front of her and swallowed.

"I asked you…" he continued advancing closer until Sakura was pressed against a tree. "What your name is."

"S-Sakura," she replied fearfully before she felt her courage return slightly. "And…I'm not _your sweet_."

"Oh?" Dimmur asked with a chuckle before placing his mouth next to her ear. "I suppose you're right. At least, for now. And Sakura…is such a _delicious_ name for a meal."

Sakura raised her kunai and sliced it against the man's cheek and took the opportunity to slip under his arm and away from him.

He didn't react to the wound and simply lifted his thumb and used it to wipe off the blood before licking it. An expression of both satisfaction and disappointment crossed his features as he turned to face her.

"That was…fulfilling, as always, but…" Dimmur's tongue protruded from his mouth as he quickly ran at Sakura and tightly grabbed her arm. He raised it to his lips and ran his tongue against the scrape. "Your taste is much more pleasing."

Sakura gasped in disgust and she shoved the creep away, but his grip on her arm only tightened. "What the hell are you talking about?!"

Dimmur laughed gruffly and a crooked smile formed. "I told you before, didn't I? The smell…is better than the taste. And your scent," he pulled her closer and sniffed her hair, "has stuck with me. I have followed it ever since my senses were first attracted to it. It's…alluring and is what led me to you tonight." He raised her arm and again licked the cut, "your blood's scent that is."

Sakura's eyes widened and she continued to struggle as the man licked the blood off her arm again and again and again. Finally, he wiped the remnants from his lips and smiled, revealing his sharp teeth.

"What…do you want with me, Dimmur?"

"I am going to…make an exception this time. If the _smell_ is this intoxicating…" he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her towards him before placing his nose over her neck and inhaling deeply. "…Then I can't even imagine what the _taste _will be. This time…the taste will be better than the smell."

"…W-w-what are you going to do?" Sakura asked, the fear washing over her once again.

Dimmur chuckled as he pulled the kunai from her loose grip and twirled it around his forefinger. "I was torn between a casserole and a soup, but," he inhaled again, "a soup is what I decided. I think the ingredients would…bring out your flavor quite nicely. So, to answer your question, I am going to…" he raised the steel weapon and hit the hilt against the base of her neck. "…Eat you, my sweet Sakura."

Sakura felt her consciousness fading.

'_I promised...to come back.' _

The swaying grass came closer as she fell forward.

'_I'm sorry…Itachi.'_

Her vision blackened and she knew she would be unconscious soon.

'_Will I ever…see you again?'_

The last image she saw was Itachi's smiling face and she felt the corners of her mouth rise slightly.

'_At least…I got to say good bye.'_


	17. Stuck in Captivity

**A/N: **Merry Christmas and happy New Year's everyone! Thank you to my reviewers and followers who have stuck with this story.

Vigil of Sorrows

Chapter 17

"Stuck In Captivity"

….

_Sakura ambled down the dark streets of Konoha with the moon shining brightly, lighting up the path ahead. As the girl walked, she thought about what Naruto had told her before._

"Don't worry about it, dattebayo! Sasuke wouldn't accept that bastard's invitation. He doesn't need to do that since he's really strong, dattebayo. I guarantee it."

'_Naruto is right. Sasuke-kun would never make the decision to join that man,' Sakura thought with a small smile._

'_Then why…' Her face fell and she stopped, dropping her eyes to the ground. 'Why do I get the feeling that he's wrong? What if…?'_

_Sakura hastily turned and ran in the opposite direction. If he left, then there was only one road he could take. She would wait for him there and confirm her suspicions. She wanted to be wrong and trust Naruto and Kakashi, but somehow she knew he would leave. _

_The familiar street came into view and she slowed in her footsteps. When the Shinobi felt the cobble beneath her shoes, she noticed Sasuke walking on the same road from the direction of the village. _

_She stopped and her eyes instantly landed on the purple bag on his back. Her mouth hung agape as her eyes widened. He really was leaving. _

_Sasuke stopped a few feet in front of her. "What are you doing…wandering around here at night?"_

"_Because in order to get out of the village, you have to take this road," she answered quietly._

"_Go home and sleep." The Uchiha slowly walked around her and continued down the street. _

'_Was he really going to leave? Would he be gone forever?' Sakura felt her eyes water and the tears slip down her cheeks. _

"_Why? Why won't you tell me anything?" she asked. "Why do you always stay silent? Why won't you say anything to me?"_

"_Why do I have to tell you anything?" he questioned, immediately halting in his steps._

_Sakura stared at him silently as more tears continued to fall. _

"_It's none of your business," Sasuke continued. "Stop concerning yourself about what I do."_

_She frowned and lowered her head sadly. "You've…always hated me, huh? Do you remember…" she returned her gaze to him. "The day we became Genin and when our three-member team was first chosen? The day you and I were here alone, you got mad at me, remember?"_

"Oh yeah, you know how he doesn't have parents, right? If you're alone, your parents wouldn't get mad at you. That's why he's so selfish."

"The solitude…"

"What?"

"You can't even compare it to when your parents get mad at you."

"What's the matter?"

"You're annoying."

_Sakura smiled slightly, hoping he remembered like she had. _

"_I don't remember," Sasuke responded after a moment._

_The Shinobi gasped and dropped her head miserably, a tear slipping down her face and splattering on the ground. She forced a laugh. _

"_Makes sense," she stated in an attempt at a light-hearted tone. "That's something that happened a while back. But," the girl lifted her head once more. "That's the day when everything started…" she smiled, "You and I…and also Naruto and Kakashi-sensei."_

_Memories of their days as Team Seven flashed through her mind. _

_The day they were instructed to retrieve the bells from Kakashi. When they were training to mold chakra through meditation. The day they set out for their first challenging mission to the Land of Waves. All the happy times they spent together, everyone smiling happily._

"_The four of us completed a number of missions together," Sakura grinned. "They were tough and a lot of work, but…above all…it was fun!" She opened her eyes and he didn't respond. She gazed at the ground in dismay. 'There must be something I can say to convince him to stay.'_

_She breathed in before again lifting her eyes. "I know about your clan, but revenge…" she stated as she turned to the side. "That won't make anyone happy. No one. Neither you... nor I."_

_The light that shone from the luminescent moon was now hidden behind a cloud, leaving the two young Shinobi in silent darkness. _

"_Just as I thought," Sasuke replied and Sakura turned to him in surprise. Had her words reached him?_

"_I'm different from you guys," he continued. "I walk a different path than you guys. I tried to think it was my path to do the things we've done up until now. The four of us did things together, but my heart decided on revenge in the end. That's my purpose in life."_

_Sakura stared at him in silence. Why couldn't he forget about revenge and stay? Why would he decide to live like that?_

"_I can't become like you or Naruto."_

"_Are you going to choose to be alone again?!" she demanded. "On that day, you taught me that solitude is painful! I understand that so well right now." _

_Her eyes continued to fill with more tears, which plopped on the ground with the rest. "I have a family, and I have friends, but if you're gone…," she took a step towards him, "To me…it'll be the same as being alone!"_

"_From here on…" Sasuke began after a short silence. "A new path will open for all of us."_

"_I…!" Sakura desperately took another step. "I love you so much! If you stay with me, I'll make sure you won't regret it! Every day will be fun. We'll definitely be happy. I'll do anything for you. So…please! Stay here!" _

_Nothing was working! What else could she say that would convince him?_

"_I'll help you with you with your revenge. I'll do something! So please stay here…with me!" she pleaded. The moon was emerging from the clouds and yet…Sasuke still wasn't responding. He still hadn't changed his mind. _

"_If you can't say," Sakura began through sobs. "Take me with you."_

_Sakura continued to weep before Sasuke finally turned to face her, a smirk on his face. "You really _are_ annoying."_

_Her eyes widened as she released a gasp. After all that, he was still going to leave. Nothing she said had any effect on him. She was unable to convince him._

_Sasuke shifted his gaze in front of him and continued walking away from her. _

"_Don't leave!" Sakura shouted desperately before running closer to him and stopping. "If you do, I'll scream!"_

_The Uchiha instantly vanished from the girl's sight and reappeared behind her. A silence fell between them as the Konoha wind slightly moved the pinkette's hair and the green leaves._

"_Sakura…thank you."_

_The Shinobi gasped. What did he mean? The tears continuing to slip down her cheeks as another silence ensued. She suddenly felt pressure on the base of her neck and started to black out. _

'_Sasuke-kun.' _

_She then fell to the ground and lost consciousness._

That night…Sakura didn't like to think about it. She was always storing it away and constantly pushing it out of her mind. It made her feel sad and…it also made her feel pathetic. No amount of pleading could stop him. No tears would bring him back.

All she ever did was cry and cry and keep crying. What good did it ever do? _'I failed when I tried to stop Sasuke-kun and all I did was cry while I waited.'_

No. That was in the past and she couldn't change it. Although that thought made her feel better about crying all the time, it didn't change the fact that she had failed.

Ever since then, she thought, no knew, that if Naruto had been the one who talked to him…Sasuke might have stayed. Perhaps…Kakashi could have been successful, as well. He always seemed to understand Sasuke. He understood a lot of things. Like Naruto and Sasuke's rivalry…

_Four Shinobi jumped from tree to tree until the oldest pointed to a clearing and ordered the group to stop there. They nodded and simultaneously the silver-haired leader and two others landed on their feet in the grass and the final tripped and landed on his face._

"_Oww, dattebayo! Why was that branch so high?!"_

"_Hn," Sasuke grunted before making his way towards the fuming blonde. He crossed his arms and looked down at him, "Why did you jump too late?"_

"_Sasuke! Why do you always get involved in my business?!" Naruto exclaimed, turning on his back and glaring at the Uchiha._

"_I could ask you the same thing," Sasuke retorted. "But you don't see me lying on my back and complaining."_

"_Exactly, Naruto," Sakura chastised before smiling admiringly at the Uchiha. "Sasuke-kun never complains about anything."_

"_That's because he's always trying to act all high and mighty, Sakura-chan," he replied._

"_Shut-up, Naruto!" Sakura shouted, advancing on him with a raised fist._

"_Annoying," Sasuke muttered before lifting a hand and stopping the pinkette's punch. She smiled at him and lowered her arm with a slight blush._

"_What did you call me, teme?!"_

"_Nothing, dobe," the Uchiha replied, looking to him with a smirk._

"_Alright, everyone settle down," Kakashi instructed as he waved them over with his trademark smile._

_Sakura shot Naruto a glare before flipping her hair behind her as she turned on her heel and walked towards their teacher. She sat in the grass, trying to look as ladylike as possible before glancing back at Sasuke with a smile._

_Naruto dropped his head dejectedly. "Sakura-chan…"_

_Sasuke glowered at the Kunoichi before reaching a hand down and grabbing the blonde's arm. He then proceeded to pull him to his feet._

"_Sasuke, I could have gotten up by myself!" Naruto exclaimed as he tugged his arm out of his teammate's grip. _

"_Hn." Sasuke placed his hands in his pockets, another smirk forming. "Then why didn't you, dobe?" _

"_Perhaps I wanted to stay on the ground, dattebayo!" Naruto countered as he glared at the Uchiha._

"_Fine," Sasuke replied before abruptly pushing the boy back into the grass. "If that's what you really want, then stay there." _

_Sakura watched their encounter in concern and followed the raven's movements with her eyes. He walked toward them and leaned against the tree behind Kakashi, his hard gaze remaining on the blonde. _

"_Sasuke-kun…"_

_The Uchiha's eyes narrowed when he saw Naruto rise to his feet again and wipe the dust off his clothes. "Didn't you hear me, baka?"_

"_I did…and I just decided to stand. You can't control me, teme!" Naruto yelled, clenching his fist._

"_I don't need to control you, loser," Sasuke smirked. "I'll continue pushing you down simply because I'm stronger than you."_

"_Then I'll get even stronger until I can beat you into the ground, dattebayo! That's a promise, Sasuke!" _

"_I already told you to settle down…and I don't like repeating myself. Naruto," Kakashi glanced at the blonde and motioned for him to sit down. Naruto yielded and dropped in the grass beside Sakura, sending occasional glares in Sasuke's direction._

"_And Sasuke," he shifted his attention to the other boy who silently conceded and lowered himself on the opposite side of the pinkette. _

_Sakura smiled at him while they waited for their teacher to inform them of the situation. "Alright, we are stopping here for the night then continuing our retrieval mission at dawn. For now, we will be taking hourly shifts…starting with me," Kakashi stated as he pointed to himself. "The next will be Sakura then Sasuke and finally Naruto." _

"_Kakashi-sensei, why do I have to go after _him_, dattebayo?!" Naruto demanded, pointing an accusing finger at the Uchiha. _

_Kakashi shrugged, "there was no reason."_

_Naruto opened his mouth to protest again, but was cut off by Sasuke, "Kakashi, I'm going to train until my shift."_

_ The Jounin glanced at him and shook his head. "Sasuke…everyone needs time to rest and recuperate, even you. Get some sleep before we head off in the morning."_

"_Hn. I don't need sleep. I need to get stronger," Sasuke replied stubbornly. "Besides, I didn't tire myself out like the other two. I'll be ready for the retrieval tomorrow, Kakashi."_

_After a moment, their teacher shrugged and casually leaned against the grass. "Alright, Sasuke, feel free to train. I know I can't win against stubbornness."_

_The Uchiha responded with a smirk as he turned in the direction of another clearing through the trees. Before he could take a step, however, Naruto shouted, "You're just trying to get extra training so you can surpass me!"_

"_Hn," Sasuke grunted before leisurely making his way through the trees. _

_Naruto hastily jumped to his feet and ran after him. "Slow down, teme! I won't let you beat me that easily."_

"_Then walk faster, dobe."_

"_Don't tell the future Hokage what to do!" Naruto ordered before disappearing out of sight behind his teammate. _

_Sakura kept her eyes on the trees they just walked past. This rivalry they had always seemed to worry her. She just didn't understand it. What was it with the two of them?_

"_Sakura?" Kakashi asked, breaking her from her musings. She turned to him and raised an inquisitive brow. "Help me collect branches and we'll make a fire."_

_She nodded, "alright, Kakashi-sensei."_

_They then spent several minutes scouring the area for the appropriate wood until it created a nicely sized pile. Kakashi then proceeded to place grass on the top and light it with a match before the two Shinobi sat on the ground around it._

_A cold breeze brushed across Sakura's back and she scooted closer to the fire, clutching her arms tightly around her. The forest was quiet and still, the only sounds coming from the crackling of the fire and the wind rushing across the treetops. _

_The peaceful silence was suddenly broken by the startling sound of clashing metal and shouts in the distance. Sakura sighed sadly. They were at it again. They were fighting. The shouts sounded like they were coming from Naruto and the weapons were either kunais or shurikens. She just hoped they didn't seriously injure each other._

_Kakashi smiled at the pinkette, "are you worried about them?"_

_She looked to him in disbelief before nodding. Why was she surprised? He could always tell what was on their minds. "I just…yeah, I'm really concerned. They're always fighting, Kakashi-sensei."_

"_Not always, but it's true that they fight. However, beneath all their banter, they understand one another," the Jounin shrugged. "Rivalries…are complicated, but…" he smiled, "there's no reason for you to worry, Sakura."_

_Sakura glanced at the direction of the noises and saw an explosion in the trees. She slowly returned her attention to Kakashi before returning the smile. "You're right, Kakashi-sensei. Perhaps I should try not to worry so much."_

But maybe that was a mistake. Sasuke still left the village and he almost killed Naruto in the process. Their rivalry had grown into something more than simply trying to outdo each other. No matter how many times Kakashi assured her that everything would be alright, they weren't in the end.

And also…Sasuke was a better teammate to Naruto than she was. Even though the Uchiha had abandoned the village and fought him, it was true…when they were still Team 7. All she concentrated on at that time was her crush on Sasuke. Always pining for his attention and seeking the return of his affections, which she now knew was just a ridiculous fantasy. During that time, she either ignored Naruto or was simply cruel to him.

Maybe…she wasn't _always_ so awful towards him. They had become close friends and knew each other very well. She had grown to care for Naruto like a brother. Their relationship now…was much better than it was in the past. And the reason it wasn't that great to begin with was because she only focused on Sasuke.

_Sakura hummed a familiar lullaby as she skipped down the streets of Konoha. It was their first C rank mission and she was anticipating it. Team 7 had been doing a lot of boring and laborious jobs lately. Naruto was right, but she would never admit it or openly complain about the situation._

_Speaking of which, she noticed Sasuke walking a short distance ahead and she squealed with excitement. The girl then proceeded to pick up her pace and quickly fell in step beside him. _

"_Good morning, Sasuke-kun," Sakura greeted with a wide smile. Sasuke acknowledged her with a small nod and continued down the street. She laughed, "so, what do you make of the mission?"_

"_I hope it's not a waste of time like the previous ones," he answered simply._

"_Well," Sakura began. "It's an escort mission, for one thing, and that's much more interesting than pulling weeds."_

"_Hn," Sasuke grunted. "I hate pulling weeds," he muttered quietly._

"_Also, the Land of Waves is a new place," she continued, grinning happily. "None of us have ever been there, except maybe Kakashi-sensei, but you never know where a Jounin might go. Anyway, it's bound to be an adventure, Sasuke-kun."_

_Sasuke stopped walking and looked to the ground intently. "An adventure, huh? I don't need any of those. All I need," he lifted his gaze to the sky before narrowing his gaze, "is the means to get stronger."_

_Sakura giggled, "but you're so strong already, Sasuke-kun. You're more powerful than everyone in our class, especially Naruto."_

_As if on cue, the pinkette noticed a flash of orange rush past her before hearing a crash on the street behind her. She quickly turned around and saw the source of this disturbance was none other than Naruto. He had bumped into Sasuke then they both fell down on the street. _

_Sakura held back a laugh. Naruto was always such an idiot._

"_What are you doing, baka?" Sasuke asked before pushing the blonde off him._

"_Nothing, dattebayo. I fell," Naruto replied with a shrug._

_The Uchiha rolled his eyes at him. "That's not what I meant, dobe. Why were you running?"_

"_Oh. Well," Naruto began as he pushed himself to his feet. "I was excited, dattebayo."_

"_I'm excited too, but do you see me acting like that?" Sasuke questioned, gesturing to his teammate._

"…_dattebayo," Naruto responded in defeat before grabbing the Uchiha's hand and pulling him up. _

_Sakura smiled at him, "Are…you excited, Sasuke-kun?"_

_Sasuke sighed. "Let's just go."_

…_.._

"_Why am _I_ the one who gets sent on these errands all the time?" Sakura complained aloud. It was a long trip from the market to the house and all the bags she was carrying were making her arms sore. She scowled, "my mom is so lazy."_

_As she passed by the Dango Café, the owner waved to her and she returned it with a smile. Even if this put her in a foul mood, she would still be polite, especially to the people she knows. _

"_Get out of here, Monster!"_

_Sakura spun around at the sound of the sudden shout and ran in the direction of the source. She came to a stop outside of an antique store where an angry looking man was waving a broom around._

"_Look what you've done!" he shouted before throwing the remnants of a broken teapot in the dirt. _

"_Oww! Hey, watch where you're throwing that, Old Man!" a familiar voice exclaimed and Sakura pushed passed a woman to see Naruto sitting on the ground, his hand bleeding from a recent cut._

_She gasped softly. 'A piece of the pot must have cut him. Why is he out here anyway?'_

"_I don't care about your hand! No one here gives a damn about you! You're trash!"_

_Sakura dropped her gaze and took a step back into the crowd, but she still had a decent view of the ordeal. She cared…but she wasn't going to defy the opinion of the crowd and admit it. She would be shunned, as well._

"_I'm not trash, dattebayo!" her teammate countered, rising to his feet and cradling his bleeding hand in the other. "And I'm not a monster. Here," he reached into his pocket and held money out to the man. _

_The shopkeeper glared and smacked his hand away. "I don't want anything from a plague like you. Keep your filthy money," he stated through gritted teeth. _

_Sakura's mouth hung agape. 'What does this man have against Naruto anyway? All he did was break a teapot…and he was even willing to pay for it. Why is this man being such a bastard?'_

"_Maybe you could save up and buy yourself a family outside of this village. I'm sure there is some woman out there who is desperate enough to take in a _monster_!"_

_Sakura watched as tears welled up in Naruto's eyes as he hung his head. He stuffed the money inside his pocket before again grabbing his bleeding hand. The blood had dripped to the ground and new drops splashed on top of the old, expanding the small puddle. Then a light, silvery liquid plopped in the center before more followed._

"_I'm…not a monster…dattebayo," Naruto choked out. "I'm…Uzumaki…Naruto."_

_The Kunoichi wanted to call out to him and comfort him in some way, but what could she do? These people obviously held a grudge against him for some reason and…even though they were treating him so cruelly…she couldn't get involved. What if it they started treating _her_ that way or even her family? _

_Sakura completely turned away from him and walked away. She stopped in the middle of the street before glancing over her shoulder. Naruto suddenly broke through the crowd of people and ran down the street, tears streaming down his face. _

'_Oh, what the hell? No matter what happened, this treatment is out of line and ridiculous and I won't stand for it any longer. Hell no! Naruto is my teammate and friend and he needs me right now!' Sakura clenched her fist and moved to go after him when she noticed movement to the side. She tilted her head and saw Sasuke walking casually on the opposite street._

_The Shinobi grinned and immediately ran through the alley before ultimately slowing to a leisurely pace beside him. "Hey, Sasuke-kun."_

_He glanced at her briefly before returning his gaze to the road ahead. _

_Sakura laughed, "It's good to see you, Sasuke-kun. It's been like a week since our last mission. I wonder why we haven't gotten one yet."_

"_Most of the missions right now are probably level B rank or higher. We, as Genin, only go on D or C ranks. There are also multiple teams of Genin and any of them could be handling those," Sasuke replied simply. _

_Sakura nodded, "that's right. So, that means we just aren't getting a mission because there aren't many available." She smiled at the Uchiha, "you're so smart, Sasuke-kun."_

"_However," the Uchiha began, obviously ignoring her comment. "I don't want to sit around waiting for another petty mission," he clenched his fist, "they're a waste of time."_

_The pinkette stared at him in silence a moment before they passed the bakery and the scent of freshly baked pastries greeted her. "Do you like cake, Sasuke-kun?" she asked with a smile._

"_Why?"_

_Sakura shrugged, "I wanted to make up for last year so I was planning on giving you a cake."_

"_What happened last year?" Sasuke asked, arching a brow._

"_Your birthday, Sasuke-kun," she giggled. "They come every year and it's important to celebrate them. That's why it's been bothering me that I didn't get you a present. Of course, I never gave you one before, but I wanted to change that and ended up forgetting. Well," she smiled," even if I didn't give you a gift, I'm sure you still had a good birthday. They are called memorable days for a reason."_

_Sakura heard Sasuke stop behind her and turned to face him. She was about to ask if he was alright when she noticed he was glaring at her and his fist tightened. How long had he been doing that?_

"_What the hell do you know about my birthday?" he asked bitterly. "Out of all the shit you just said, the only thing I agree with…is that they are memorable. Every single birthday has been…memorable." His eyes widened briefly before he abruptly turned and headed towards the opposite end of town. "And it's all because of that bastard."_

_Sakura remained silent as she watched him walk away. 'What do I always say that makes him so upset? Maybe if I talked to him about something else it could take his mind off it.' She smiled and quickly moved to catch up to him. _

_He cast a glare at her. "Why are you following me?"_

"_Because I'm worried abo-"_

"_You're annoying," he interrupted._

_Sakura lowered her gaze before returning it to him with a smile. "There was an annoying man in the market today. Did you see the commotion that happened outside the antique shop earlier?"_

"_No."_

"_Well," she began matter-of-factly. "The owner was being such a bastard. Apparently, Naruto broke one of the teapots and the man kicked him out. He was really out of line with the entire thing, though. He threw the shards at Naruto which made his hand bleed, and didn't accept the money he tried giving him to repay the damage. Also, he called him so many cruel names, like monster and trash, and he even…"_

_She looked to the ground sadly as the memory of the ordeal replayed in her mind. 'What a bastard.'_

"_What do you want to say, Sakura?" Sasuke asked shortly._

_Sakura lifted her gaze and noticed they were walking passed the abandoned Uchiha Compound. 'That is Sasuke-kun's old home. Why is he going this way?' She shook her head and returned her attention to him. "He told him to buy a new family that would accept a monster and…Naruto cried."_

_Sasuke slowly shifted his narrowed gaze to her. "You saw all this?"_

_The girl nodded. "Yes, I was there with the crowd. At first, I wasn't going to do anything, but when he ran off I was going to go after him before…" she smiled at the Uchiha. "I saw _you_, Sasuke-kun."_

_He stopped. "Why did you follow me instead of helping Naruto?"_

_Sakura didn't respond. She couldn't give him an answer because she hadn't even considered that. Had she…chosen Sasuke over Naruto?_

_Sasuke scoffed and turned away from her, "Kakashi was right."_

"_W-what do you mean?" she asked._

"_You would choose to save me…even if Naruto had a chance to be spared," he stated._

"Sakura! You cared more about Sasuke than Naruto, even though Naruto was in front of you and you didn't know where Sasuke was."

_Kakashi had said that during their trial…and it was true. That is what she had done then and repeated now. Even though it was a different situation that was still the same. _

"_You're teammate was in trouble yet you chased after me because of some ridiculous obsession," Sasuke continued, sending a glare at her. _

"…_Sasuke-kun. Sasuke-kun, I'm-"_

"_Pathetic." He then sharply turned and walked into the empty home of his clan. _

_Sakura dropped her gaze sadly because she knew he was right. She was pathetic._

"Hmm…needs more salt."

Sakura's eyes suddenly flashed open. Her shoulder felt wet and the cannibal was crouching beside her with a contemplative grin.

"Or is it onion? Maybe carrot," he mused before again licking her and nodding. "Definitely all three and I'll also add some cabbage."

The pinkette gasped when she remembered the events from the night before. "Dimmur! Get the hell away from me!"

The pale man chuckled and ran a finger against her cheek. "There's no reason to shout, my sweet. I was just leaving to check on the soup," he leaned in next to her ear, "the _delicious_ soup."

Sakura shivered and pushed him away from her. He laughed and rose to his feet before crossing the distance of the room to a small wooden table. She cringed when he grabbed a knife and started chopping vegetables with it.

The Shinobi closed her eyes and took a moment to collect herself. She assumed that she would never wake up again, so she just let her thoughts wander. However, she wasn't dead yet and she might have a chance to escape from this maniac.

Sakura slowly opened her eyes and took in her surroundings. She was in a corner, but without any bondages and the wall she was pressed against felt like some sort of rock. The room was dimly lit, the only light coming from burning candles placed in the walls and the lantern beside Dimmur, who was surrounded by several small tables, a stove with a boiling pot on it, and multiple shelves filled with herbs, spices and other cooking ingredients.

To her left, there appeared to be a long tunnel and she guessed that was the only way out. She reached back and found that her weapons pouch was still on her back. _'Good. He obviously didn't know I had more.'_

The girl pulled out a kunai and slowly pushed herself off the floor, hiding the arm holding the weapon behind her. She kept her back to the wall and inched toward the tunnel's entrance. She heard a slurping noise behind her and saw Dimmur tasting the soup.

Sakura smirked and returned her attention ahead of her. She reached the passage and stepped inside it. However, a tall man suddenly walked from within and grinned when he saw her.

"Hello, child," he said, coming to a stop and patting her head. "Are you the _special_ guest of honor?"

Her grip on the kunai tightened and she was about to stab the man blocking her way when she felt a hand wrap around her wrist.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Sakura gasped in surprise and craned her neck to see Dimmur standing behind her with a malignant glint in his eyes. She loosened her hold and let the weapon drop to the floor.

The cannibal chuckled and released her arm before stepping away. "Abrix," he addressed the taller man. "Why did you come?"

The man named Abrix shrugged, "we got restless and wanted to see what was on the menu for tonight."

Dimmur smiled at Sakura and sniffed her neck. "As you have seen, Abrix, it's this sweet creature."

Abrix licked his lips and nodded. "Well, can you hurry up? I'm hungry…and so is everyone else."

"It will be done soon enough. I'm adding the last few ingredients before I add," he licked Sakura's arm, "the sweetest and most important."

Sakura growled at him before walking away in the direction of the 'kitchen'. She stopped beside a table set with plates and utensils and leaned against it, keeping her gaze on the two maniacs. _'Abrix mentioned others and the table is set for five. That means there are five captors and they're all somewhere in this cave. And Dimmur...is the leader.'_

"Yeah, I got that, Dimmur. The girl is obviously still alive. When will it be ready?" Abrix demanded.

"About an hour left," Dimmur replied with a throaty laugh. "Now, go wait in the tunnel with the rest."

Abrix cast Sakura a wink before turning and laughing as he walked back through the passageway. Dimmur walked back to the stove and ran his fingers across the Shinobi's cheek as he passed. She cringed before fixing her gaze on the floor.

The ground felt loose like sand, but there were large objects scattered around it. '_Are they rocks?' _Sakura squinted in the dim light and could make out a white bump. She reached down and felt it. It was hard and solid.

Sakura gasped and immediately pulled her hand away. "Bones," she muttered. Why was it always…bones?

"Yes," Dimmur chuckled behind her, causing the pinkette to flinch and instantly move away from him.

"Where am I?" Sakura questioned as he walked back to the stove.

"Where, my sweet? You are here," he replied, chopping a carrot into large chunks. "Where else would you be?"

Sakura scowled and banged her fist on the table. "Where the hell am I, Dimmur?! This damn cave...where is it located?"

Dimmur laughed as he threw the orange vegetable into the boiling soup and stirred it with a long spoon. "We are in the mountains of Yokusei, Sweet Sakura."

"The mountains?" she gasped. She was still in Yokusei. _'Then Itachi-'_

"Don't even think about trying to escape. You already know you can't get away from that last attempt," he stated before turning and placing a pale hand against her neck. "Be the good, delicious girl you taste like and don't try again. I would be forced to use violence if you did, and would rather not resort to that."

Sakura closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. He…was right. It was impossible for her to escape. Dimmur could somehow find her scent and there were also four more people in the cave. Not to mention the darkness would make it hard for her to see and she could easily step on a bone and that would instantly give her away. And she had no idea what those tunnels were like and what she might run into.

There were too many unknown factors at play. She was trapped. _'They…are going to eat me.'_

The pinkette glared at Dimmur and slapped his face. "You can sure as hell try, you bastard. I won't just stand by and let you and your friends eat me."

Dimmur chuckled before swiftly grabbing a knife off the table and holding it against her throat. "What can you do, my sweet? You are powerless against me. You are all alone with five captors on a mountain. You have no control over anything that happens here."

Sakura gripped his wrist and pushed the knife away before raising her other arm and preparing a punch.

"_Being that your stature is so small, you will undoubtedly find yourself coming across bigger opponents However, if your form is executed correctly, size will no longer be a factor."_

The girl smiled sadly and lowered her fist. _'Itachi…'_

"You see it, don't you?" Dimmur questioned, stepping back and twirling the knife around. "How hopeless this situation is for you. You can't run away and no one is coming to save you."

"No one, huh?" Sakura responded, taking a single step back. "You're probably right about that," she smiled. "My partner…is sleeping right now. Well, he should be, at least. It's impossible for him to know about me anyway."

"Exactly," Dimmur stated as a triumphant grin plastered across his face. "Now, will you go back in that corner and wait like a sweet little girl?"

Sakura laughed, "hell no. You'll have to force me, bastard."

He chuckled and advanced toward her, holding the knife to the side.

"_What I will be teaching you involves using your enemy's own power against them."_

She smirked and punched his sternum as he came closer, knocking him off balance before kicking his stomach and knocking him on the ground.

_He lifted a hand and rested it on her head, like he usually did after their training sessions. "Allow those feelings of accomplishment to be directed towards yourself." He smiled, "though I do appreciate the gratitude."_

_"But I wouldn't be this accomplished if it weren't for my talented Snail-sensei," she countered, returning his smile._

"That…I learned from my sensei," Sakura stated proudly.

Dimmur coughed as he tried to laugh, turning on his side as he clutched his chest. "Did you? Why would he…waste his time…training you? How can he…be around you and…resist the taste?

Sakura glared at the man and swiftly made her way towards him, tightening her fist. "Not everyone…is disgusting like you, bastard. He's not a rotten cannibal like you. Itachi…is the best person I've ever met in my life. He's my friend."

"You're friend?" he laughed and pushed himself to a sitting position. "The best person you know? Tell me, my sweet, who is this Itachi? Do you _know_ he's not like me?"

The Shinobi pulled her fist back and punched the bastard in the face. "He's _nothing_ like you."

"Well, my sweet, that may be true, but…, is he really what you think he is?" Dimmur chuckled before quickly moving behind her and knocking the hilt of the knife against the back of her neck. "Of course, you'll be eaten before you find the answer, Sweet Sakura."

'_Well…I tried, Itachi. I'm sorry, but it seems like you'll have to get back home for the both of us now. Oh, but I utilized your training. Turns out my impulsiveness got the better of me, though. Maybe…if I had learned to control it...'_

"...Damnit," Sakura muttered as her vision blackened.

"_I just don't think I could ever bring myself to harm you."_

"Sorry…Snail."

_He returned her smile before lowering his hand. "Then I suppose, it would be best if we simply avoided the situation altogether."_

"_I agree," Sakura nodded, dropping her hand as well only to firmly grasp his. "Promise? I don't think I could hurt you either."_

_Itachi smiled. "Aa," he nodded. "I promise."_

It seemed like she would break two promises.

She wasn't coming back and…she was going to hurt him.

'…_but you'll be alright, Itachi. I know you will. Just make sure…you get your beauty sleep…Snail.'_

...

_Three Shinobi slept soundly in a meadow, a soft wind blowing the blades of grass back and forth. The stars were the only light in the sky as the moon's radiance was absent._

_Sakura was awoken by a sudden stirring beside her and slowly opened her eyes to see Naruto crawling towards Sasuke before shaking his arm lightly. _

"_Hey, teme? Teme? Sasuke?" he whispered._

"_What is it, dobe?" Sasuke responded, keeping his eyes closed._

"_I can't sleep, dattebayo," Naruto replied._

"_What do you want me to do about it?"_

_Sakura smirked, but kept her head lowered on the grass and pretended to still be asleep. However, she could clearly see what her two teammates were doing._

_Naruto shrugged, "Can you sing?"_

"_What?" the Uchiha asked, opening his onyx eyes and looking to him in bewilderment._

"_Like a lullaby," the blonde clarified. "It might help me go back to sleep."_

"_I'm not singing you a lullaby," Sasuke stated._

"_Alright then, tell me a story. Not a ghost story, though, because that will only scare me."_

"_Hn," the Uchiha grunted._

"_Come on, teme," Naruto pleaded. "Help out a teammate."_

_Sasuke sighed. "Fine," he replied before he pushed himself up from his sleeping position to sit beside the blonde. "I'm not singing to you, though."_

"_Thank you, dattebayo." Naruto grinned, "You're not such a jerk all the time."_

_The Uchiha shook his head at the boy before punching him lightly on the shoulder. "Whatever, dobe."_

_Naruto laughed and returned the punch before looking to the sky. "Wow."_

_Sasuke followed his gaze before returning it to his teammate and smirking. "Admiring the stars, baka?"_

"_Stars have always amazed me, dattebayo," the blonde replied with a nod. "Every time I see them, they make me think of the future."_

"_The future?"_

"_Yes, teme. No matter what we do or how far we come, we can never be as great as the stars above us." He looked to Sasuke with a grin, "it's like they shine for the bright future and keep us on the right path, dattebayo, but also keep us from getting arrogant."_

_Sakura smiled. What Naruto said might have been ridiculous, but it was a thoughtful thing for him to say. He always looked to the future optimistically._

"_What do the stars make _you_ think about, Sasuke?" Naruto asked._

_The Uchiha remained silent and shifted his gaze back to the stars. After a moment, he sighed. "They don't represent a bright future. Stars make me remember the past and how weak I was. They make me feel…powerless. All I see when I look at them are faces I can't forget."_

_Naruto listened quietly and a brief silence ensued before he laughed and patted Sasuke on the shoulder. "You're putting too much thought into it, teme."_

_Sasuke frowned and leaned onto his back, his eyes remaining fixed on the stars. Naruto soon followed suit, except he had a wide grin on his face._

"_You know, teme, you're supposed to make a wish when you look at the stars," he stated after a moment._

_Sasuke chuckled, "that's only when you see a falling star, dobe."_

"_That doesn't matter, dattebayo," Naruto replied. "Because…I'm going to become Hokage. That's my wish. I don't need a falling star. It's going to come true no matter what."_

"_Wasn't that your dream?"_

"_You're right, teme," Naruto laughed. "I guess they ended up being the same thing because there's nothing else I could think of that I want. However, if I wished for something else, it would be…to know my parents, dattebayo," he stated in a more serious tone. He was silent a moment before turning to his friend with a grin. "What's _your_ wish, teme? Or is it the same as your dream?"_

_Sasuke didn't respond. He tore his eyes off the sky by turning on his side and facing the vast meadow. Naruto watched him quietly before laughing, "That's alright. You don't have to tell me, dattebayo. As long as there's something you wish for that's fine, dattebayo."_

"_No," the Uchiha said quietly._

"_Huh?"_

_Sakura frowned. He didn't have a wish? Everyone wanted something…right?_

"_No," Sasuke repeated. "My wish isn't the same as my dream, Naruto."_

_The blonde grinned, "That's good, teme. Wishes and dreams…they should be different. A wish can be _anything_, even if it's not possible. Why not wish for the impossible and save your dreams for reality?"_

"_Wish for the impossible, huh?" Sasuke mused. "Yeah, that's probably true."_

"_Alright. Now," Naruto jumped to his feet and stretched his arms over his head. "How about a race? And I bet I'll beat you this time, teme."_

"_Hn," the Uchiha grunted as he rose beside him. "Ready to lose again, dobe?"_

"_We'll see about that," he replied before taking off in the direction of a big hill. Sasuke soon caught up to him and they both disappeared down the other side._

_Sakura watched them with a smile. She would never understand why they were always competing. 'Sasuke-kun is probably going to win again, though.'_

_She turned and looked at the stars. "A wish? What would I wish for?_

The Shinobi didn't know the answer then, but if she were to wish for something now…it would be for everyone to be together again. Sasuke would return and they would have their friend back. And…Itachi would be there, as well. He wouldn't be a criminal who wasn't allowed to come home. He would be her friend. Everyone would be happy.

That was her wish.

However, certain thoughts she had been suppressing suddenly came to mind.

Itachi. The main thing she always pushed back was her thoughts about him. No matter how hard she tried to ignore it, it didn't change the truth. Itachi…was a criminal and…the man Sasuke always talked about killing.

"_Also, I have an ambition that I have no intention to leave as just a dream. The revival of my clan, and to…kill a certain man." _

"_Only I can kill that man. I was crying at the time… My… I'm an avenger. I must become stronger than him. I don't have time to stumble here."_

When she first arrived, that was the only thing on her mind. Uchiha Itachi had murdered his clan and Sasuke wanted revenge. That was all she knew and she hated that man.

However, when they became partners, they got closer and were even friends now. It was like he was a completely different person.

That wasn't true, though. Both people were Itachi, but she didn't know the one who killed his family. She knew the Itachi who loved tea, was a great sensei, a wonderful Shinobi and was always right. Sakura cared about him. He was an important person to her…but could she really ignore what he had done?

Itachi…was Sasuke's older brother. The man he hated. She could probably place her own hatred for him with her affections towards Sasuke. She had been trying to move on, though, and…did she still love him?

When he left, it was always hard to think about him because it made her sad every time. Now, however, it felt like something had changed and it didn't affect her the same way it used to. It was like…it was easier. Was that Itachi's doing? By simply being around him she could remember those times without getting emotional. Or was it that she really had been able to move on?

However, this brought her back to those thoughts of Itachi. Now that her reason for hating him was gone, how did she feel?

_Sakura blinked and tilted her head before looking down at the bowl in front of her. "When did our food get here?"_

"_A little while ago, Sakura-san," Itachi stated._

"_Oh!" Sakura's eyes widened in realization. "I didn't even notice."_

"_We still have to work on that," he winked. "Don't we?"_

Did she hate him for what he did?

_"I think you're…" he began slowly after another short pause, "definitely the most interesting and," she felt his hold on her shoulders tighten slightly, "__craziest__ person in both my past and present acquaintance."_

_Sakura smiled and tilted her head to see his face. "So you don't think it's a bad thing that I'm crazy?"_

_"Quite the contrary, in fact," Itachi responded with a shake of his head._

Or was he still the same person to her?

"_Are you alright, Sakura-san?"_

_Sakura avoided his gaze and stared pointedly at the wall beside him. "Not really."_

_Another crack of thunder sounded, but she simply waited for a response from her partner_

_Itachi smiled, "would you like some tea?"_

Sakura suddenly felt her consciousness returning. There was something soft pressed against her back. Was it a bed of some sort? The sound of boiling water and the smell of soup was no longer present and she felt like she was pressed against a wall.

'_Wasn't I supposed to die? What the hell? …Where am I anyway?'_

The pinkette slowly opened her eyes and was greeted by the sight of the ceiling overhead. She blinked before turning her head and seeing a window with the vibrant colors of Yokusei's night sky through it. _'How did I get out of that cave?'_

Sakura groggily pushed herself up to a sitting position before rubbing her sore neck and checking her surroundings. Something about this house seemed familiar. Had she been here before? She looked down and realized she had been placed on a cot in the corner of the room.

The Shinobi sighed. There were so many questions spinning in her head right now. She leaned her head against the wall and closed her eyes. This room…where had she seen it before?

"_Are you teasing me, Sakura-san?"_

_She lifted her other hand and tapped two fingers against his forehead, "of course not, Itachi."_

"_Hmm," he mused thoughtfully. She noticed his eyes shift to Gregor briefly before returning to her. He then removed his hand from under hers and wrapped it securely around her shoulders._

"_Gregor," he began, catching the man's attention. "We've found the cure and have come to help your village. We suspected that it had spread here as well."_

Her eyes suddenly flashed open as she gasped, the memory having occurred in this same house. "I'm at Gregor's…but how?"

Sakura blinked twice. She could ask Gregor what happened, but he didn't seem to be there. _'Where could he be?' _She scanned the room once more and something beside caught her eye. It wasn't Gregor, but it was…

"Itachi?" she asked uncertainly. _'That's impossible. That can't be him.' _The girl turned and faced him. It was definitely Itachi.

"How is…I thought…Itachi?" The Shinobi didn't know what to say. She was happy to see him, but still confused. After a moment, she sighed and simply stared at him.

He must have fallen asleep at some point. He had his back pressed against the wall and his head rested on it, as well. Sakura smiled slightly at his sleeping face. He looked peaceful. She raised an arm and brushed the bangs out of his face. Her arm rested there a moment before she lowered it. She then pulled her knees to her chest before leaning against the wall, keeping her gaze on him.

"I'm glad, Itachi. You got some sleep, after all. I was worried," Sakura whispered softly before feeling a single tear slip down her cheek. She wiped it away before sighing. There were still so many unanswered questions, but she would wait until he woke up to ask them.

Sakura felt herself smile again. He needed his sleep. That was more important anyway. However, not only was she confused about this situation, she was also confused in regards to Itachi. She needed to find the answer to the latter on her own, though.

The pinkette decided then she wouldn't push those thoughts aside any longer. They required attention, but she also didn't want them to affect her when she was around him. She sighed. That was probably going to be impossible, so she would think about it as often as she could, but not all the time.

At that moment, Itachi's dark eyes opened and looked to the place where she had been lying before he blinked and rested his gaze on her.

Sakura smiled at him, "did you have a good sleep?"

He returned her smile and nodded, "Aa."

She reached a hand out to ruffle his hair before deciding to instead place it on his shoulder. "That's good. You looked like you needed it."

Itachi didn't respond as he continued to look at her with a soft smile. After a short silence, he reached up and took her hand in his as he lowered it from his shoulder and shook his head. "That is…the last time I let you go off on your own."

Sakura smiled slightly and nodded before she felt her eyes start to water. She shook her head and pulled him into a tight hug as the tears started to fall. "I'm sorry, Itachi. I'm sorry."

He placed an arm around her shoulders and she heard him sigh. "Sakura, you don't need to apologize. It wasn't your fault."

"Okay," she nodded before crying harder and tightening the embrace. "I tried to get away, but they were better than me. I didn't want to die and I was afraid…because I didn't want to leave you, Itachi."

"You're safe now," he responded after a moment.

Sakura lifted her head to see him smiling and she weakly returned it. She then lifted a hand and rubbed the tears from her eyes. She paused before asking the question that had been on her mind since waking, "what happened?"

Itachi tilted his head, "Well, Bogford-san woke me up after you had been taken and told me what happened. We came to the village and we, along with Gregor, Snake-skin and Tinderwood, traveled to the mountains where we came upon a cave. We found you unconscious and…dealt with the people who had taken you." He sighed, "Afterwards, we returned here and have simply been waiting for you to wake up."

They dealt with them? So, those men were all dead. She couldn't say she was sorry. They were awful people and had…eaten plenty of people. All those bones proved it.

Sakura narrowed her eyes. "Those sick bastards," she muttered bitterly.

"Aa," he chuckled softly. "I can't think of a better way to put it."

The pinkette smirked in response before considering something else he had said. "How did the fish-man know what happened?"

Itachi shrugged, "he had his boat. I assume he was out on the lake fishing."

Sakura cringed as she remembered what happened by the lake. She lifted her arm and looked at the cut the bastard had repeatedly licked before placing her other hand over it with a grimace. After a moment, her gaze returned to Itachi and she forced a smile. "Well, at least he was there."

"Aa," he nodded. "Without Bogford-san, and Gregor as well, I would not have made it in time."

She lifted her hand and placed it against his cheek with a gentle smile. "I'll have to thank them later. And…I'm really happy you got there in time. I thought I would never see you again."

The Uchiha reached out a hand and ran it through her hair as he shook his head. "That's in the past now, Sakura." He smiled, "but I'm glad I made it in time, too."

Sakura's smile widened before she remembered her previous thoughts and abruptly rose to her feet. She glanced around briefly. "Where's Gregor?"

Itachi sighed then proceeded to slowly stand as well, "he's at the tavern." He then looked to the stove. "How about some tea?" he cast her a wink, "we missed it this morning."

"Tea sounds good," she nodded before walking towards the cupboard and retrieving two cups.

He turned and made his way to the kettle before heating it. "We will leave tomorrow sometime, after you have fully recovered. Perhaps even the day after."

"I'm fine," Sakura replied, shaking her head. "I don't have any injuries, so traveling won't be a problem."

Itachi looked at her and offered another smile, "all the same, I'd rather wait."

"Alright," she shrugged. "What are we going to do while we wait?"

He tilted his head before returning the shrug, "it doesn't matter." He smirked slightly, "whatever you want."

Sakura nodded. What she really wanted was to find an answer, but that was something she would leave for a later time. "Well," she began with a grin. "We haven't had much free time since we came to Yokusei. Maybe there's something to do in town."

"Perhaps," the Uchiha replied before pouring the hot water into the cups and brewing the tea. After a moment, he grabbed both and made his way to the table where he set them down and glanced at Sakura. "For now though, have some tea with me."

"Of course," she smiled before winking. "I can't refuse your tea, Itachi."

He returned the smile before taking a sip from his cup and glancing to the window. His eyes then lowered to his steaming tea.

Sakura walked towards him and lifted her own cup off the table. She took a small sip before looking to him with a smile. "Can we go back to the inn when we're finished?"

Itachi glanced at her and creased his brows, "what inn, Sakura?"

The pinkette blinked before her eyes widened, "Oh! We're in Gregor's village, aren't we?"

"Aa," he nodded before sighing. "After you finish your tea, you can go back to sleep and catch up on some rest."

Sakura nodded in agreement before laughing, "You sounded kind of like my dad."

"Oh?" he smiled. "You father sounds like a wise man."

"_Sakura, do you know where your mom hid my brandy?"_

"_It's never too early for a drink. Except when it concerns age. That's why Sakura isn't allowed to have a drink with me…yet."_

"_Birds…are fascinating creatures, dear. Did you know doves are a symbol of love?"_

"_Hey, Sakura, want to help me hide the coffee from your mother?"_

"_Why do you think green is my favorite color? Hint: it has nothing to do with your mother."_

"_You'll have to go out in the world and make your own decisions someday. The right ones are the best for a reason, but you can always recover from the wrong ones. You just have to believe and never give up."_

Sakura grinned, "He is, but only sometimes. My dad likes to make a joke out of everything."

"Utilizing a sense of humor in certain situations can be a sign of wisdom," he replied.

"In that case," she smirked, "he's _very_ wise."

"Well," he returned the smirk before tapping two fingers against her forehead. "I suppose you must have inherited that trait from him."

"Hell yeah," Sakura replied. "Or he rubbed off on me. I certainly spent a lot of time with him in the past."

"That's good," he nodded. "You should spend as much time with your parents as possible."

"I agree," she responded before taking another long sip of tea and finishing it. "I'm done now, Itachi."

Her partner nodded before slowly finishing his own drink, setting it down beside hers then glancing down at her with a smile. "Are you tired?"

Sakura nodded and rubbed her neck again. "I didn't exactly get any sleep. I was knocked out twice."

Itachi lifted a hand and rested it over her forehead protector as he tilted his head. "Are you sore anywhere from that?"

"Just my neck and my wrist," she replied simply before glancing down at her hand. "And the knuckles on my right hand."

"Did you punch someone?"

"Yes, I punched Dimmur," she stated with a triumphant smirk.

Itachi smiled and grabbed both cups before placing them in the sink and returning to her. "Come on then, you need some sleep."

"I _want_ sleep, Snail," Sakura winked as she rose from her chair.

"Of course," he shook his head. "Call it what you like."

She made her way to the cot in the corner before lying down on it. "Thanks for the permission."

Itachi sighed as he walked towards her and reclaimed his position against the wall, "goodnight, Sakura."

"Goodnight, Itachi," Sakura responded as she closed her eyes. It had certainly been a long day and she was very tired. And even though there were many things that still confused her, she definitely knew she was happy to be with Itachi again.

'_I suppose that chuckle earlier counts.'_


	18. Lighthearted Festivities

Vigil of Sorrows

Chapter 18

"Lighthearted Festivities"

….

Sunlight streamed in through the cracks in her eyelids and Sakura inwardly sighed. It was morning already. That meant she needed to get up. _'Well,' _the girl thought as she released a yawn, _'at least I had a good sleep.' _

"You are awake. How are you feeling today?"

"Huh?" Sakura asked groggily as she sat up on the cot and rubbed her eyes. She blinked several times before the scene before her registered. Gregor was near the door and offering her a wide smile while Itachi was facing them as he sat at the table with a cup of tea.

"Well," Gregor began, "I can already see that you're doing better." He then motioned in the direction of the kitchen, "I've made you some tea. You should get up before it gets cold."

Sakura returned the smile with a nod. "Thank you, Gregor."

He nodded in reply before waving to Itachi. The man then proceeded to walk out the door and close it behind him. Sakura watched him in confusion before turning to Itachi. "Where's he going?"

"To gather firewood."

"Oh. Alright then," Sakura shrugged before making her way towards the kitchen where she found a steaming cup of tea. She lifted it from its position on the counter before moving to take a seat at the table beside Itachi.

The Shinobi took a small sip of her beverage before glancing to Itachi with a smile. "Good morning, Snail."

The Uchiha nodded and returned the smile, "good morning, Sakura."

"Did you sleep alright?" Sakura asked. "I mean, considering," she continued, motioning to the wall.

"Aa, I did. I was quite comfortable," he replied before casting her a wink. "In fact, that wall was probably the most comfortable I have ever slept against."

"So you've slept against a lot of walls, Itachi?" Sakura asked with a playful smirk. "That's quite unfortunate."

"I have," Itachi stated. "Though it's hardly unfortunate."

Sakura laughed, "Do you have some sort of fondness for walls, Snail?"

Itachi smiled and tilted his head slightly a moment before nodding. "Aa, I confess that I do. An immense fondness, in fact."

"Is there a specific reason for that or…" Sakura winked, "Is there just something about it?"

"Hmm," he replied, before returning the wink. "In this case, my reasons are quite specific."

"Oh? Care to share…buddy?" she inquired.

Sakura was legitimately curious. It seemed strange that Itachi would like _walls_ so much. Maybe…it wasn't the wall itself, but something else that related to it specifically. However, she would never figure _that_ out.

"Unfortunately," Itachi responded, "that will have to be reserved for a later time."

"Why?" Sakura demanded, crossing her arms.

The Uchiha sighed, but the smile remained on his face as he directed his attention to the window. "Look at that, Sakura," his smile widened.

The pinkette rose from her chair and walked towards the window curiously. Outside, the villagers were making some sort of wood pile in the center of town. "What are they doing?"

"Most likely preparing for the festival," Itachi explained. "Gregor told me that they are planning to celebrate the fall of the mountain dwellers."

Sakura quickly spun around to face him. "A festival?!" she asked excitedly. That sounded wonderful. She had been to a few festivals in Konoha and they were always fun. She wondered if they would have any games…and prizes you could win.

Then again, this place was strange. They probably didn't have the same festivals she was used to. It could still be fun, though. It was a festival, after all.

"Aa," Itachi replied with a smile before shrugging. "I figured we could simply leave for Kanashimi tomorrow sometime, that way we would be able to attend the occasion. Would you be willing to help out with the preparations?"

"Of course," Sakura instantly replied. "It's always more fun to be involved with that sort of thing. That way you can enjoy the actual event even more."

"Well then," he began as he stood and placed their cups on the counter. "I suppose we had better get started."

The girl nodded eagerly, "good idea. Now," she walked towards Itachi and grabbed his hand, "let's go, Snail. You always move so slowly."

Itachi merely smiled in response before moving toward the door and stepping outside. Sakura quickly glanced between all the inhabitants and the various tasks they were doing. She wondered which one she could help with; they all seemed rather enjoyable.

After a brief moment, her partner led her toward the snake bastard. She still thought the man was very rude, but it made sense that he was overseeing the festival. He was in charge, after all, and since he was the man responsible for the event then she would attempt to be as civil as possible.

Itachi smiled at the man when they reached him and he returned it with a grin. "Oh! It's you. We are going to have a festival." As he spoke, his glance quickly shifted to the right before he shouted commands at a group near the wood pile.

"So I've heard," Itachi replied and the man returned his attention to him. "Sakura and I are here to offer our help with the preparations."

"Hmm," the man mused, seeming to consider the Uchiha's request before nodding and pointing a Sakura. "She will help the group in the nearby field. They are gathering floral decorations."

Sakura smirked. That was_ too_ easy. She used to gather flowers all the time when she was in her early years at the Ninja Academy. Tsunade also constantly sent her on errands to gather herbs.

"You sir," he continued. "Can help the people in the tavern carry their furniture outside. We want everything to be outside."

Itachi nodded, "Aa, those tasks sound suitable enough." He then looked to Sakura with a smile. "Is this alright with you?"

"Hell yeah!" she exclaimed. "It would be more fun if we could do preparations together, but I'm sure it will still be fun."

He chuckled softly before poking her forehead, "we'll do the next one together, okay?"

Sakura smiled as she returned the gesture, "I'll hold you to that, Itachi."

Itachi nodded before removing his hand from her grasp and motioning toward the gate, "off you go."

The pinkette returned the nod and looked toward the gate. She took a step forward before yesterday's events replayed in her mind and she quickly turned to pull Itachi into a tight embrace. "I promise to stay with the group and not wander off by myself."

Sakura felt Itachi wrap an arm around her shoulders, like he always did. She smiled slightly. It always made her feel so…safe being around him, especially in moments like these when he held her in his arms.

"I can see the field from here," he responded. "I will try to keep an eye on you."

Sakura looked to the field a moment before returning her attention to him and shaking her head. "How do you expect to enjoy yourself if you're looking out for my safety?"

He winked at her and the smile she hadn't noticed before widened. "Looking out for my partner is far more enjoyable than moving furniture, I assure you."

She arched a brow, "I'm serious, Itachi. I want you to have fun."

Itachi's smile faltered and a momentary silence ensued. He then nodded, "I will. However, I prioritize your safety. It's…important to me."

It was so strange. Looking back, that would be the last thing she would expect to hear from the '_Uchiha bastard_.' Once again, her conflicting feelings arose. Was that terrible person who Itachi really was…or was he the man who had become so important to her? The one she never wanted to leave. Sakura still didn't know, but she didn't want that to ruin this fun day for her…and especially Itachi, so she forced it back and decided to deal with it later.

Sakura smiled, "then I suppose it's impossible for me to talk you out of it. You seem determined and...respecting what you want to do is important to _me_."

He nodded and the smile returned. After a moment, he removed his arm from her shoulders. "In any case, we can simply both look forward to having fun at the festival tonight."

She pulled away from him as her smile widened. "You're right. I bet the festival will be the best part of the day, Snail."

"Without a doubt, Sakura."

"Alright then, good bye, Itachi," Sakura waved before running in the direction of the field. "See you tonight."

She soon passed through the gate and into the field, where there were several citizens gathered in a group. She instantly moved to join them and waited for instructions. Everyone was conversing in whispers as they, probably, waited for orders, as well. An old woman stood in the center and Sakura assumed she was the leader of this particular task.

Glancing around the group, she noted there were only women and young girls present. That was interesting. Did the snake bastard think the women incapable of successfully performing any task other than flower picking?

Sakura's musings were interrupted by the old woman, who was now standing atop of a barrel as she clapped loudly.

"Here Attention. Attention here, everyone."

The conversations immediately ended and they all gave the woman their undivided attention. The pinkette followed suit and looked at the elder curiously. She seemed like she demanded attention every time she spoke.

"Flower picking. Our job to pick flowers. Scatter around field and bring back what's found. Ariel," she indicated a young woman beside her, who had a smug grin plastered across her face. She looked vaguely familiar. "Will direct once you bring flowers. Now," she again clapped, "work! No time wasting!"

Sakura looked to her left and moved toward a small area with white flowers. As the Shinobi picked, she noticed the plants were very beautiful. Although they were definitely not the same, they resembled white lilies.

'_Hm…I wonder if they have something similar to daisies. Those are my favorite, after all,'_ Sakura mused as she carried her small bundle towards the barrel. She handed the flowers to the woman named Ariel with a sweet smile. "Here you are."

Ariel took them and nonchalantly dropped them into a bucket behind her. She then returned her attention to Sakura and pointed to the field. "Go back for more."

The pinkette nodded and was about to comply when she suddenly remembered why Ariel looked so familiar. She looked to the woman, her eyes widened in surprise. "Ariel. Ariel…Lowleaf?"

"That is me."

Sakura's teal gaze narrowed as she crossed her arms. "You again, huh? Well, consider this a warning. Stay away from Itachi, you crazy bitch."

Ariel laughed, "Itachi? He's here?"

"Hell yeah he is. I'm here and we travel together. Of course he's here."

"Excellent! Now," she chuckled throatily, "I can kill him."

Sakura glowered at the woman, "just try it. See what happens. Actually," she giggled, "that's impossible. There's no way _you_ could kill _Itachi_."

Ariel's eyes widened in apparent realization. "Why? Were you planning to kill him yourself?"

What the hell was wrong with these people? They made the most ridiculous assumptions. Well…it's true she wanted to kill him when she first met him, but that desire had completely disappeared. If anything she wanted him to live longer rather than have him die. Besides, she couldn't beat Itachi. It didn't seem like anyone could.

"Itachi is my friend. I wouldn't even consider killing him," Sakura smiled.

Ariel gasped, "kill Itachi? You _wouldn't_. You _couldn't_. You _shouldn't_."

The pinkette rolled her eyes at the woman. She…was insane. "That's not what I said. _You're_ the one who wanted to kill him, remember?"

"Kill Itachi? I _wouldn't_. I _couldn't_. I _shouldn't_."

Sakura released an exasperated sigh. This woman was so ridiculous! "Keep that in mind, Ariel, and stay away from him." She chuckled as she threateningly punched her fist against her palm. "You don't want to cross me."

Ariel's eyes narrowed and the smug expression returned, "Perfect! I'll kill him then you when you show up."

The Kunoichi huffed as she turned on her heel and walked away, shooting the woman a final glare. She stopped in a patch of yellow flowers and plopped onto the ground, closing her eyes and focusing on her breathing as she attempted to calm herself.

After several moments, her eyes slowly fluttered open and she lifted her gaze to the vibrant sky as she continued her flower picking assignment. It was their last day in Yokusei. It had finally come. It seemed like they had been here for…many years, but only a few weeks had actually passed.

So much had occurred. Some things she didn't want to remember and others she never wanted to forget. When they…she returned to Konoha, everything would be different. It would always seem like something was missing, but she would have to accept it because the impossible was labeled that way for a reason. It was impossible for Itachi to be in her life after they returned.

Sakura sighed and reached forward to pick a flower. Rather than add it to the pile, she pulled off a yellow petal and released it in the light breeze. "I'll miss you a lot."

She pulled another petal and again let the wind carry it away. "I'll miss you more than anything."

"I'll miss you a lot."

The Shinobi continued this process, tearing off a petal and switching between the two phrases. As the last yellow piece of the flower blew away, a single tear slipped down her cheek. "I'll miss you more than anything…Itachi."

"Round gather. Gather round, everyone."

Sakura glanced over shoulder and noticed the old woman was about to give another speech. She quickly wiped the tear away and ran to join the group, handing the flowers to Ariel as she did so.

"Good. Good picking, harvesting, collecting, scavenging, gathering." The civilians cheered triumphantly at her words of praise. "Now, we sit and trim stems. Then go down to bonfire"

The villagers groaned, but complied regardless. Everyone sat in a circle, a bushel of flowers in front of each individual, as they broke the stems off the flowers. Sakura hummed a lullaby as she worked, the assignment only serving to lift her spirits.

It was going to be dark in a few hours and they would be back in the village by then. And there was going to be a bonfire! Sakura was so excited for the coming festival. She loved attending them, especially with her friends or family. The Shinobi recalled one year she went with her parents when she was eight.

"_Sakura, do you see that?" her father asked, excitement emanating from him as he pointed to the archway that was covered in brilliant lights. _

_Mebuki scoffed, "there's nothing great about it, Kizashi. It's plainly decorated. All they added were lights. I could have done a _much _better job."_

"_You think so?" Kizashi asked, casting Sakura a wink. "Then why didn't you? As I recall, you were offered the job as leader of the decorating committee."_

"_I didn't want my talents to be wasted, that's why," she countered smugly._

_Kizashi smirked, "Of course. Forgive me, dear. I forgot how talented you were."_

"_I'm not going to forgive you unless you get me some food. I'm starving."_

"_Right away," he replied, the smirk shifting into a grin. "Is there anything particular you'd like?"_

"_Squid on a stick," Mebuki replied shortly._

_Kizashi laughed as he walked toward a nearby food booth. Sakura glanced up at her mother's stern expression and giggled. _

"_Why are you laughing, young lady?" she demanded._

"_Daddy was only making fun of you, Mom."_

"Excuse_ me?"_

_Sakura immediately realized her error and quickly pointed to a prize game. "I'm going to play. Bye," she stated before hastily running toward the water tank and away from her seething mother._

"_Hello, miss. Would you like to play Hoop-Duck?" a tall man asked. He was obviously the person in charge of this particular game._

_She nodded, "sure. How do I play?"_

_The man smiled and picked up a small silver hoop. "First, you take one of these then you throw it and try to get it around one of the duck's necks," he explained. "Of course, it's harder because they're moving around, but it's not impossible. You get three hoops, which means three tries. Oh, and the best part. If you win, you get a prize. The prizes get better and bigger with the number of ducks you can get rings around. If you can get all three, you get that stuffed bird behind me."_

_Sakura looked behind the man and gasped. There was a large black bird, probably a crow, hanging in the rack behind him. It looked really soft and cuddly. She grinned and returned her attention to the vendor. "I'll try it."_

_She handed the man some money and he exchanged it for three silver rings. Sakura stepped behind the white line the man pointed to and prepared the first ring. She aimed for a duck and tossed it gently, but it splashed in the water. _

"_Hell no!" Sakura exclaimed before grabbing the other ring. "I'll get the next one!" She tossed the ring, but the same thing happened as with the first. It sunk to the bottom of the tank. She stomped her foot impatiently and flung the last ring at the tank._

_However, this time, she was successful. The hoop had landed securely around the rubber duck's neck. The girl cheered happily and the man handed her a small stuffed pig. Sakura looked at it and raised her brow. It was too much of a coincidence. Maybe she could give it to Ino for her birthday. She would _definitely _hate that._

_Sakura set the pig on the ground before handing more money to the man. She wanted that crow. He smiled and gave her three more hoops. She walked back toward the line and released the ring. It slipped onto the neck of the yellow duck. _

"_Hell yeah! I've got it this time!" the pinkette cheered cockily. She was about to throw the next one when her father suddenly appeared behind her, a bowl of ice cream in his hand. He shook his head at her and handed the bowl to the vendor before grabbing his daughter's hand and pulling her to the side._

"_Daddy! I was about to win!" Sakura complained._

_Kizashi crossed his arms, "not with that attitude. You can still play, Sakura, there's just something I think you should be reminded of."_

_Sakura groaned, "I don't need another lecture, Daddy. I'm going to win that bird." She started toward the line again, but he placed his hands on her shoulders and spun her around. _

"_Not so fast, young lady. You _need_ to hear this."_

"_What? Hurry up and tell me so I can get back to winning," she demanded._

_Kizashi shook his head at her and kneeled on the ground so they were at the same eye level. "Sakura…do you know what arrogance is?"_

"_Yes, Daddy. It's when you act like you're better than anyone else and think you can accomplish anything," Sakura replied irritably._

"_There are so many meanings, but in this case, yes, that is what it means," Kizashi began. "Cockiness, Sakura. When you are successful at one thing, you get the mindset that you can accomplish anything. However, that's not how it works. It takes skill, knowledge and most importantly, humility, not arrogance, to do something. If you only rely on past successes and don't seek to improve, you'll only end up failing. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"_

_Sakura nodded slowly, "I was getting cocky and won't win the bird if I'm only thinking that I got a hoop on the duck last time. I need to actually try to win with my own skills."_

_Kizashi smiled proudly, "that's my girl. I'm glad you take my lessons seriously, Sakura." He kissed her forehead before rising to his feet. "Now, go win that bird."_

"_Will you watch me, Daddy?"_

"_Of course. My drink can wait until after I witness my daughter's success," he laughed before leading Sakura back to the line._

_The pinkette smiled and took a moment to breathe so she could concentrate. She then aimed in front of the duck and quickly tossed the silver hoop, which fell around the duck's neck. Her father grinned and indicated the last ring._

_Sakura was anxious. She had gotten two already and only needed one more to win the bird. However, she couldn't get cocky again. That would only ruin the progress she was making. The girl then released the final object and cheered when it landed in the same way as the rest._

_The vendor happily handed the big bird to her and her father lifted her onto his shoulders. She held the soft toy close to her as her father picked up the pig. "See? Arrogance isn't such a good thing," he started as he began moving toward through the crowd. "Don't try to convince yourself and others that you're better at something than you really are. The truth…is always best. We can always learn from our shortcomings and improve them if we truly desire to be better."_

_Sakura nodded as she smiled, "I got the crow, Daddy."_

"_Yes, you did. Why did you want it so badly?"_

"_Because," she looked at the bird and her smile widened, "it looked soft and…it reminded me of the one that used to live in our backyard."_

"_Oh, that's right. Mr. Bird, correct?" he chuckled._

"_Daddy," Sakura pouted. "I was five. I know now that it was a girl. Why do you keep bringing that up?"_

"_It's just fun, Sakura," Kizashi replied, still laughing._

"_There you are!"_

_Kizashi stopped in his tracks and quickly placed Sakura on the ground beside him. He smiled as Mebuki approached them. "Hello, dear."_

_She scoffed, "I don't want to hear it. Where have the two of you been?"_

"_At the water tank," he replied simply._

"_And you didn't invite _me_?"_

_Kizashi's smile widened and he patted his wife on the shoulder. "We didn't want to inconvenience you. We know how much you enjoy the festival food and wanted you to enjoy it rather than wait on us to finish playing some ridiculous duck game."_

_Mebuki grinned, "Well, it's nice to know you actually considered my feelings."_

"_Of course! Why would I do anything else, Mebuki?" _

"_Good," she nodded before grabbing Sakura's hand. "Now, it's time to leave. It's very late and I have to get up early tomorrow."_

"_But, Mom, we just got here," Sakura whined._

"_I don't want to hear it. We're going home."_

_The girl nodded, "alright."_

_Mebuki smiled before leading Sakura toward the archway. Kizashi laughed and was about to follow when he noticed a sign that read: BAR. "I'll catch up with you later. I think I'll stay a little longer."_

"_Oh, no you don't. You're not staying out all night so you can attempt to help people with their problems, Kizashi."_

_He shrugged, "it's not an attempt. It works every time."_

"_You're coming home. Now!"_

"_Nope. I'm gonna have a drink," Kizashi replied._

_Mebuki sighed in frustration before stomping her foot and continuing towards the exit._

"_See you later, my women," he waved with a smirk._

"_Bye, Daddy," Sakura returned the wave._

"Done. Everyone done."

Sakura returned to reality at the sound of the woman's command. She lifted her gaze to the sky and noticed it was beginning to darken. That meant it was probably time for the bonfire. She smiled and rose to her feet with the others.

"Thank you for help. Now," she clapped once more before pointing in the direction of the village. "Go! Everyone go!"

"With pleasure," Sakura muttered before she felt a grin spread across her face. It was finally time for the festival.

Everyone then turned and made their way back towards the gate. The pinkette merrily walked with the crowd. She noticed smoke rising from the town center and her smile widened. They had lit the fire. She quickened her steps until the group reached the entrance and stopped to admire the flames from a distance.

After several moments, she tore her gaze away from the beautiful scene and noticed Itachi standing nearby. She smirked and moved to stand in front of him. "What do you think you're doing, Snail?"

"Why do you even have to ask something so obvious, Sakura?" he returned the smirk. "I came to meet you."

Sakura crossed her arms as her smirk widened. "Well, forgive me for not making that assumption."

"Alright," Itachi nodded. "You have convinced me. I forgive you after all." He shook his head, "and I was so prepared to hold it against you too."

"Then it's good that I was able to convince you," she replied, reaching down and grabbing his hand. "Otherwise, I might have been in a bad mood for the rest of the night."

The Uchiha responded with a smile as he turned and led her toward the bonfire. The fire was even more brilliant up close and a group of civilians had even begun to play music. Sakura closed her eyes and listened to the beautiful melody that was being played.

"I almost got you."

The pinkette's eyes immediately opened and she turned to see Fu Blood standing behind Itachi, putting his scissors inside his pocket. Sakura's gaze narrowed. He tried to cut Itachi's hair…again.

"Aa, so you did," the Uchiha nodded.

A brief silence ensued before Fu Blood cleared his throat, "I didn't come to see you off or anything. I came because I have business in this town." He then shifted his gaze to the right, "and besides. Manister insisted."

"Of course he did," Itachi replied as he offered the man another nod before turning his attention to the fire.

Sakura glanced at him and smiled before lifting a hand and brushing Itachi's bangs to the side. "Your hair looks great today, by the way."

"Oh?" he tilted his head slightly. "Just today?"

The Shinobi laughed, "No. It looks perfect every day, but it's even better right now for some reason."

"Hmm," Itachi mused. "Perhaps it's simply catching the glow of the flames," he stated before offering her a small smile.

Sakura arched a curious brow before stepping to the side and examining his hair intently. Their proximity to the fire definitely gave his hair a certain glow. However, that didn't seem to be the reason.

She sighed before moving back to her original spot beside him. "That's not it. It's something else."

"Well," Itachi sighed before shaking his head. "I suppose it will have to remain a mystery, then."

"I suppose," Sakura pouted, returning her gaze to the blazing fire. There was _definitely_ something different about it today, but she couldn't figure out what. Like Itachi said, it would simply be a mystery.

When night finally came, the snake bastard stood atop one of the tables and announced the starting of the festival. In response, the villagers cheered before hastily scurrying in different directions towards specific activities.

Sakura watched the inhabitants with piqued interest. There were so many things they could do, but which should they pick first? A group of civilians surrounded a table beside barrels of alcohol. If her dad was here, that would definitely be the first place he would go. There were also several food tables set up and she resisted the urge to roll her eyes. That would be her mom's first choice. What should she choose?

The Shinobi sighed before turning to Itachi. "What do you want to do, Snail?"

He shrugged, "I don't really mind. You choose."

"I can't decide. That's why I asked you," Sakura replied.

Itachi took a moment to look around before asking, "Are you hungry, Sakura?"

As if on cue, the pinkette heard a low grumble resonate from her stomach. Sakura instantly felt her face heat up and turned away from him. "I haven't eaten all day," she mumbled.

"Well then," she heard him say behind her. "How about we have dinner first?"

The girl nodded and reached her hand behind her, indicating that he take it. "Lead the way then."

She felt Itachi grasp her hand before he led her toward a nearby table that was laden with various desserts. He stopped and looked to her, "what would you like?"

Sakura briefly examined the food items on the table before glancing at Itachi with a smirk. "How about we start with some cake?"

The Uchiha nodded before shooting her a wink, "that is an excellent suggestion."

"Hell yeah," she responded before returning her attention to the table. "Do you want to start with vanilla, Snail?"

"Aa," Itachi replied with another nod. "However, _you_ may decide whichever you prefer."

Sakura smiled, "thank you. In that case, hm…I'll have the strawberry."

He returned the smile before reaching down and grabbing one slice of each cake. He then handed the strawberry piece to her before leading her toward a table currently occupied by Gregor and the fish-man.

"Oh! Hello!" Gregor grinned before looking to Sakura. "You having fun, miss?"

Sakura nodded, "Hell yeah I am. This festival is exciting. There's so much that you can do."

Gregor nodded his smile widening. "I'm so glad that you two could attend."

"Me too," Sakura responded with a smile.

"As are we," Itachi simultaneously replied.

The Uchiha raised a brow at her before motioning to the seat across from Gregor and the fish-beater. The pinkette complied and lowered herself into the seat before glancing back at her partner and patting the seat beside her.

Itachi took the offered spot and set his plate down on the table before grabbing his fork and taking a bite of the dessert. He seemed to like it and Sakura smiled at him. He just loved that cake. She held back a laugh when she noticed he had more frosting on his face.

"Ahem," Gregor cleared his throat before indicating the corner of his mouth.

Itachi then proceeded to raise a hand and wipe off the icing, before glancing down at her. Sakura's smile shifted into a smirk before she lifted a finger and tapped her chin.

"That's very interesting, Snail. Both times I have seen you eat cake you've gotten frosting on your mouth," she stated, laughing. "It makes me wonder if this is a reoccurring thing."

"Perhaps, in time," the Uchiha began slowly, his tone almost sounding…cautious.

'_Does he mean…that we're not going to be together much longer? Well…it is true."_

"You will get to see for yourself," he continued, his tone considerably lighter.

Sakura smiled softly before lifting a hand and poking his forehead. "The next time you eat cake...I'll definitely know." She shot him a wink, "I have a hunch that I'm right, though."

Itachi returned the smile and nodded, "I have no doubt."

They both then finished their cakes in relative silence, occasionally having a conversation with Gregor, who left the table several times and returned with a refill of his ale. Sakura smiled slightly at this, the man's actions reminding her of her father. She noticed that the music had become livelier.

After several moments of simply sitting and watching the energetic inhabitants, Gregor walked around the table and stopped beside Sakura, bowing slightly and offering his hand. "Will you honor me with a dance, Miss Sakura?"

Sakura smiled at him as she placed her hand within his. "Of course, Gregor." She briefly glanced at Itachi before returning her gaze to the man. "Dancing sounds fun."

Gregor then lifted the girl to her feet and led her towards the fire, where several other civilians were randomly dancing around it. Sakura arched a brow at their disorderly manner. "We don't have to dance like them, do we?"

The man looked to her with a smile, "unless you want to."

The pinkette vigorously shook her head. "No. Hell no. Is there a more…organized dance we could do that still goes with the music?"

Gregor seemed to contemplate this a moment before taking her other hand in his free one and facing her. "This is a dance I learned from my late father. It's quite simple. Would you like to try it, Miss Sakura?"

Sakura smirked and nodded, "Of course I do. What's the first step?"

"Well, I shall explain it from my perspective so whatever foot I step with, you move with the opposite. That way we'll both move in the same direction. Do this unless I specify otherwise," Gregor explained, the smile still on his face.

"Sounds easy enough," she replied. "I've danced a few times so I understand the basic concepts."

"Wonderful!" he exclaimed before planting his feet on the ground, and Sakura emulated this movement. "First, I take a slow side-step with my right foot then two quick steps back, starting with the left. Be sure to take long strides, though."

Sakura noted the movements in her mind before nodding. "Let's try it."

Gregor then stepped to the right and the Shinobi quickly tried to mirror his movement, only succeeding in stepping on his foot. She expected him to exclaim in pain, but he merely stopped moving and took a deep breath.

"…Sorry. I missed the step. Are you okay?"

After a moment, Gregor nodded and the smile returned to his face. "Of course! Let's try it again, shall we? This time, don't try to rush your movements. Move with the music."

"But you were moving too fast, Gregor. Can we go slower until I get the steps?" Sakura inquired. She assumed it would be easy to learn, but she had never been very good at dancing. She even bruised her father's foot once.

Gregor laughed before nodding in agreement. He then repeated the steps, slowly, and Sakura emulated them. After numerous steps, she could do the movements without consciously thinking about them and informed Gregor he could speed up.

Now that she had learned the proper movements, she had fun dancing with Gregor. He even twirled her a few times. At one point, Sakura spun a little too close to the fire and Gregor had to quickly grab and pull her away from the flames. When she was out of danger, all the pinkette could do was laugh at her own mistake.

"Are you alright, Miss Sakura?" Gregor asked in a concerned tone.

Sakura had to wait until her laughter calmed before she could reply. "Yes, Gregor. In fact, I'm wonderful. I'm having so much fun."

"Then let us continue our dance," he responded, the smile returning to his face.

"Of course," the girl nodded, before Gregor again took her hands and guided her through the rest of the dance.

After several minutes, the song ended and Sakura clapped for the bards. They were excellent musicians. Gregor then proceeded to lead her towards the table filled with the kegs of ale, which Itachi was currently standing in front of. She smiled at him as they approached.

The Uchiha returned the smile, "Did you enjoy yourself, Sakura?"

Her smile widened as she nodded, "very much. It was fun."

"Excuse me," Gregor began, bowing slightly. "I need another drink." He then abruptly turned and ventured off toward the fish-man.

Sakura shook her head at him as he walked off before returning her attention to Itachi. "Did _you_ enjoy yourself, Snail?"

"Aa."

"Good," she grinned. "I'm glad."

"Well," he began. "What would you like to do next?"

"Hm…" Sakura mused, tapping her chin thoughtfully. She then glanced to Itachi before another smile formed. She then proceeded to step in front of him and tap his forehead. "Would you like to dance, Itachi?"

"Uhm…Sakura, I…don't," he shook his head and shifted his gaze away from hers. "I'm not exactly…hm." He was silent a moment and Sakura frowned slightly. He either didn't like dancing…or just didn't want to right now. Was he, perhaps…uncomfortable?

"Look at that, Sakura. They are playing cards." He smiled, "would you like to join."

Sakura followed his gaze and forced a smile, "that sounds fun. I bet I'll win, though."

Itachi nodded and took her hand before gently guiding her over to the tables where the villagers were playing card games. If dancing was something that would make Itachi feel uncomfortable…then she wouldn't bring it up again. It's what he would want, after all.

Over the course of the hour, they played several strange card games with the inhabitants. For one, the games didn't have clear rules so she kept losing. However, she was able to win a _few_, but Itachi won several more than her. That didn't change the fact that she still beat him sometimes and she felt proud of herself every time.

Upon finishing the game, there were so many other activities that Sakura wanted to participate in and Itachi obliged. Every event they participated in was fun to the Shinobi, but she wondered if her partner was having fun as well. She asked him several times and his response was always the same, anticipated one.

The Shinobi didn't ask him to dance again. She had decided that she was going to try being more respectful of _his_ feelings. It was strange how she was able to read his expressions so easily sometimes and other times she had no idea what he was thinking.

There was a woman at one of the stalls, who lifted a basket filled with various colors of ribbon and explained that each represented a different path of good fortune. Sakura noticed Itachi look to her before returning his attention to the merchant. He handed her a gold coin and selected a scarlet ribbon.

The woman had smiled widely before nodding, "that one is for the path of change. Your life will change for the better."

Sakura smiled when she heard the fortune. She glanced to Itachi and watched as he smiled slightly before offering the woman his gratitude and turning to Sakura. He seemed to hesitate a moment before tying the ribbon around her wrist. She offered him a warm smile before giving him a light kiss on the cheek. She noticed him stiffen in response, but only slightly, before his smile widened and he guided her towards another activity.

The festival was still going on late into the night, but there were only a few people who remained and didn't venture to some other unknown location. A short time ago, Gregor had bade each of them good night before informing them that he was going to leave the door unlocked so that they could enter when they wished.

Itachi had recently left to get a drink of water, so Sakura ventured toward the location of the previously roaring flames that had now been reduced to smoldering cinders. She always enjoyed the bonfires, but it was also somewhat sad to watch them slowly diminish until there was no trace of the once lively flames.

She suddenly felt a hand tap her shoulder and jumped slightly before sighing in relief when she realized it was Itachi. "Snail! You surprised me."

"I see that," he replied before slowly lifting his hand and offering it to her. After a moment, his smile also widened. "I will take you up on that offer now, Sakura."

Sakura stared at his hand in confusion a moment before her eyes widened and she met his gaze. "Are you sure? You don't have to, Itachi."

"Aa," he nodded. "I'm sure."

She could feel herself blushing slightly as a smile formed and she lifted her own hand to place it within his. "Alright."

Itachi then gently pulled her closer to him and wrapped an arm around her shoulders as she felt his hold on her hand tighten slightly as he held it against his chest. He then began to slowly sway with her.

Sakura wondered if he really was alright with this, but decided against asking again. She was happy that he agreed to dance, but if he really was awkward like she thought then it was hard enough for him to even accept her offer. It had been very selfless of him to do this for her and she hoped there was a way she could repay the favor.

Actually, now that she thought about it, many of the things Itachi had done in the time that they'd been together were selfless. And…that wasn't something a cold, heartless murderer would do. _'Maybe…I shouldn't compare him to a person I don't even know. This selfless person…is who Itachi is.'_

Sakura felt her smile widen slightly as she looked up at the person she had grown to care for so much. _'Itachi…you're not who I thought you were. I've never been happier to admit I was wrong because…you're actually better than any person I know.'_ With this thought, she felt a slight pang of sadness. _'I wish we could have more time together.'_


	19. Smooth Sailing

**A/N: **Sorry about the late update. It's been pretty busy lately and we didn't have much time to write. We'll try to post more often in the future. Enjoy :) Don't forget to read .Rose's as well.

Vigil of Sorrows

Chapter 19

"Smooth Sailing"

….

Sakura gazed in amazement at the sea that stretched on for miles past the morning horizon. It was a beautiful shade of blue that reflect the color of the sky above. She shifted her focus to the pebbled shore beneath her feet and smiled. It was just like a beach.

The pinkette bent down and scooped up a handful of the smooth pebbles before tossing a few into the water, listening to the distinct _plop_ each one made. She laughed then before turning to Itachi and noticed that he was smiling at her. She instantly returned it.

"Want to throw some?" Sakura asked. "It's fun," she added, casting him a wink.

The Shinobi patiently waited for him to respond as she watched him glance from the pebbles she held to the sea then back at her. He nodded before holding out a hand.

"Why not?"

Sakura smirked and placed some pebbles in his outstretched palm. "There are probably a few reasons, but I'm glad you chose to have fun instead."

Itachi simply nodded in response and returned the smirk before turning to the bay. He then grabbed one of the stones and prepared to throw it. Sakura watched him curiously, wondering if he'd ever done this sort of thing before.

The Uchiha's smirk widened then before he released the stone and it skipped across the water. The girl smiled as she returned her attention to him. He had definitely done this before. The ease he portrayed when he threw it wasn't anything new, but it also just seemed like he was used to it.

Her father always tried to teach her how to skip rocks, but she never got the hang of it. That might have something to do with the fact that she would get frustrated and just throw them into the water.

Sakura's smile widened. Was there anything Itachi wasn't good at? She tilted her head as she pondered this, but couldn't think of anything. He was just talented. After all, he _was_ a prodigy.

Itachi looked to her then and tilted his head slightly as his smirk changed into a soft smile. Sakura stared at him silently a moment, that strange feeling returning. Once again, it seemed like something was different about him. What was it exactly?

She shook the thought aside for the moment, it would only confuse her and she could think about it later. She instead patted Itachi on the shoulder and asked, "Wasn't that fun?"

He nodded, "Aa, it was."

Sakura grinned, "good."

There was a brief silence before the fish-man left his boat and approached them, "everything is set. Set and ready."

Itachi looked to him and nodded, "thank you, Bogford-san." He then turned and Sakura followed his movement, remembering that some people had accompanied them to the sea. The fish-man had offered to take them to Kanashimi in his boat since it wasn't really out of the way as he was already heading in that direction.

Today…they were leaving Yokusei. Sakura dropped her gaze a moment before lifting it and examining the crowd, hoping it would distract her. Gregor, the crazy bastard, Fu Blood, the snake bastard and some guy with a name that reminded her of the forest and had something to do with wood had come to see them off.

Fu Blood stepped forward, but he kept glancing at Itachi's hair. Sakura smirked slightly. There was no way he could ever cut his hair. After all his attempts, he should really give up. There was no point in trying if it was impossible.

He stopped and regarded them in silence a moment before looking to his left. "Oh stop it, Manister," he stated with a shake of his head. "You're always so sentimental."

Sakura rolled her eyes at him. She was beginning to doubt that Manister even existed. That man was so crazy. Maybe even…dumb. Probably dumber than…Naruto. _'Come to think of it, Sasuke-kun could be pretty duuumb too sometimes. Especially when he and Naruto were together. They would act even dumber than usual. Even Kakashi-sensei could be dumb sometimes. I swear, sometimes it seemed like I was the only intelligent one on my team.'_

The pinkette resisted the urge to shake her head. Maybe if they had listened to _her_ sometimes, they could've avoided so many dumb situations. Like that time Naruto and Sasuke left her because they wanted that golden bear. She was taken hostage because of them. Well, they got what was coming to them when they ended up stuck together for three days. _'That was, without a doubt, the dumbest thing they've ever done. Hell yeah. Yep. It totally was, but it was sooo funny.'_

Sakura took a moment to consider how easily she could think about Sasuke now. It was always so hard and she could never do it without crying at some point. That conversation she had with Itachi really helped…and so did her decision to move on.

The pinkette glanced at Itachi and smiled again. He was always helping her. She then noticed movement out of her peripherals so she turned her head and saw that Fu Blood was already leaving and had obviously said his farewell to Itachi.

She crossed her arms and looked away. She didn't want to say goodbye to him anyway. Not to that bastard…or his stupid imaginary friend.

"So rude," she stated angrily.

Sakura decided then that she didn't like these villagers very much. Some were nice and welcoming, like Gregor and the inhabitants of the _other_ town, but the majority were just plain rude.

This town also had so many inconveniences. One of them, the most obvious, was the position of the well. If she strained her eyes, she might be able to see it from the bay. That's what happens when it's _outside_ the town. They might wake up one morning and find that their water had been stolen. That's another thing that could happen because they decided to be dumb when they decided where to put the well.

It really did seem like she was surrounded by idiots. Glancing again at Itachi, she felt a small smile form. He was definitely the smartest person she'd ever met. Maybe…he wouldn't be very proud of her if he knew she was bashing on the villagers. It wasn't a very noble thing to do after all and he seemed to care about that sort of thing.

"Sakura," he said then. "Come and say good bye to Gregor."

The pinkette's gaze lowered slightly at his words. That's right, they were saying good bye. They were leaving. She had become so lost in her ridiculous thoughts that she had almost forgotten.

Sakura met his gaze and nodded slowly before looking to Gregor. Had he been crying? The Shinobi offered him a warm smile before approaching him and pulling him into an embrace.

"Good bye, Gregor."

"Good bye, miss Sakura," Gregor replied, returning the tight hug. "I'll miss both of you a great deal."

The pinkette nodded, slightly tightening her hold. She then pulled away before giving Gregor a small kiss on the cheek. "We'll miss you, too."

She heard Gregor sigh before he started to release his hold on her. He held her at arm's length another moment before stepping back.

He looked between the girl and Itachi, "good luck to both of you, and in returning home. If you ever need anything, you know where to find me."

"We appreciate everything you've done for us," Itachi stated.

Gregor merely replied with a smile.

Sakura glanced at her partner before returning her attention to Gregor and nodding in agreement. "Hell yeah."

After a moment passed, Itachi slowly turned and headed in the direction of the fish-man. Sakura offered Gregor one last smile before also turning to follow him. The Uchiha waited on shore and for a second she had to wonder why. _'Oh, he's waiting for me to go first. Always such a gentlemen,' she thought._

The pinkette approached him and smiled before grabbing his hand, "Come on, Snail."

"Aa," he replied before she proceeded to pull him onto the boat.

They each took a seat as the fish-man started to row them away from the shore and Sakura's gaze immediately drifted to the sea. She had been on a boat a few times when she went on missions for Tsunade, but never a small one like this where the water was so close. The Shinobi smiled as she lowered her arm and the tips of her fingers grazed the water. She grinned then as she lifted her arm and the cool water dripped off her soaked hand.

Sakura turned to the Uchiha beside her and the smile instantly faded. His gaze was lowered and there was this look on his face. She didn't know what, but something seemed to be bothering him.

"Itachi…are you alright?" she asked in concern.

The pinkette could feel his hold on her hand slightly tighten before nodding slowly. The Uchiha smiled, "Aa."

Sakura arched an inquisitive brow. "I don't completely believe that."

Itachi sighed softly before shaking his head, "I was merely thinking."

That's what he said the last time he was like that. She narrowed her eyes before glancing at the water. A small smile formed before she looked back at the Uchiha and nodded. "Alright, if you say so."

She still didn't believe that he was just _thinking_, but he obviously didn't want to talk about it. Still…there was something on his mind and it was bothering him.

The girl's gaze once again wandered to the water. Perhaps there was a way she could cheer him up and take his mind off it. "Hey, Snail, I have a question for you."

His eyes widened slightly in response. "…what is it, Sakura?"

Sakura shrugged as she lowered her arm into the sea once more. "I'm just curious if you like water."

"Aa, I do," he nodded. "It is a very pleasant element."

"Steady, filled with my precious creatures, the most effective means of travel, refreshing, mysterious, the best vision at any of the day's times, and a necessary means of hydration," the fish-man nodded, not removing his eyes from the gulf.

Sakura smiled. Though he was crazy, what he said made sense. The water was wonderful.

"I could not have said it better myself," Itachi agreed with a widening smile.

The Shinobi nodded, "well, it's good that you like it."

"Like it?" The fish-man seemed to consider this. "Like it, eh? That is certainly a curious aspect. An aspect that instills curiosity."

Sakura shook her head at him. He always spoke in riddles and they usually confused her. She shrugged before returning her attention to the water. As the boat moved along, the girl moved her hand around to make different shapes and to watch the various ripples that were created.

The sun had recently set and she eventually grew bored playing with the water so she resumed her previous position in her seat and yawned. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the fish-man also yawn.

The girl turned to him and narrowed her eyes. Was he really tired? If so, he'd better not fall asleep or there would be problems.

The man simply returned the action.

Sakura gaped. Was he mocking her now?

He also gaped.

'_Hell no!' _The pinkette glared at him and crossed her arms, but he simply mirrored it.

Her eyebrows furrowed as she stuck her tongue out at him. He did the same.

The Shinobi's glare intensified then and she pounded her fist against her opposite palm.

The fish-man removed his hands from the oar to copy this action before replacing them upon it.

Sakura growled.

He growled.

She reached down and splashed water in his face. He did the same.

The girl turned her head away from him, determined to ignore his _childish_ antics, but out of her peripheral vision, she saw him look in the same direction.

Sakura abruptly turned her head back to him and hardened her glare, but he, of course, did the same. She held her glare for several moments until the sound of Itachi's voice interrupted her.

"Are you currently engaged in a staring contest, by chance?"

"Hell _no_! I wouldn't be so mad if it was just a _staring contest_," she replied, turning to him.

The Uchiha blinked before looking to the fish-man, but he was staring out at the sea, pretending nothing had happened. That was so rude. "Bogford-san, have you been provoking Sakura?"

He didn't respond and Sakura glared. "Hell yeah! He sure did! Yep!"

"Row, row, row along," the fish-man began to sing, still acting like he had done nothing. "Along the ever-drifting rivers and changing the tides; the tides that guide us to our destiny and brings us face-to-face with the thing we all must face. Row, row, row along."

"You fish bastard!" she shouted. "You totally started it and now you're lying!"

"Lying she says," he stated as he shook his head. "How can one lie without having said anything at all? Does she understand what it means to be a liar? I think not. Certainly not."

"I know what it means. I'm not dumb! You're lying because you're not telling the truth. You're just pretending you didn't do anything," Sakura retorted angrily.

"Pretending now, is it?" he said to himself. "Did I ever say such a thing? Do such a thing? Think such a thing? I think not. Certainly not.

"You just lied! Just now. You're totally pretending and you lied about it."

The fish-man remained silent and didn't offer a response. Sakura smirked. She had won and he knew it.

"Fish bastard, eh?" Itachi asked. "I certainly miss the times when that was all you would address me as."

Sakura looked to him and glared. "Keep it up and I'll go back to calling you that," she warned.

Itachi tilted his head, "is that meant to be a threat?" He lifted his free hand and tapped her forehead. "Because I do believe that I just stated how partial I am to that particular term of endearment."

The Shinobi felt her face heat up and she looked away from him. "It wasn't meant as a compliment. It was supposed to be insulting."

"Was it?" he asked. "All this time, I've never realized that. I suppose that can simply be attributed to the fact that no one has ever really addressed me that way on a regular basis."

"Well, that was your mistake," she replied before quietly adding, "Bastard."

"Hm…somehow, I still enjoy the sound of that."

She then heard the fish-man laugh at his statement before Itachi started to chuckle. Sakura returned her attention to them and glared. "You bastards are totally making fun of me."

The Uchiha looked to her, a smile still on his face. After a moment, he stated, "You're always…so very amusing, Sakura."

"Is that supposed to be an insult?"

Itachi shook his head, "No, it most certainly isn't."

Sakura could tell he was being sincere. She smiled then before leaning forward and giving him a kiss on the cheek. "It seems I can never stay mad at you, Itachi."

She then pulled away and noticed his smile widen before he winked. "That's a good thing."

"And I've suddenly noticed something," the fish-beater announced then.

Sakura looked to him and tilted her head. What did he mean? Was there something to notice?

"…what is it you've noticed?"

The fish-beater smiled slyly, his eyes squinting as he did so. "It is something…interesting. Definitely interesting. Care to venture a guess?"

Itachi didn't respond and Sakura was confused by this. He was usually pretty adept at figuring things out. Was something wrong with him?

The fish-man looked to Sakura instead. "How about you? Care to guess the interesting thing I have noticed? You'll want to know what it is. Need a hint? Alright, I'll give you a hint. It has been right in front of you for quite some time and yet you don't seem to see it."

Sakura tapped her finger against her chin thoughtfully. Something that has been in front of her…for a while. What could that be? What did he mean by a while? If he meant a short while, then he could be referring to the ocean, but she _had_ noticed that. Perhaps it was the fact that he was insane, but she already knew that. Did he know, though?

No, that didn't make any sense. He didn't have a reason to suddenly to bring that up and he probably wouldn't want to anyway. It was something he only recently noticed…and it was interesting.

She gasped, "Are you serious? You noticed it, too?"

"What is your guess? I long to hear the guess. I certainly do," the fish-man announced.

Sakura held up a finger, "Can I ask you one question first?"

"Yes, yes. Ask away. Ask now."

She cast a small smirk to the Uchiha before asking, "It has something to do with Itachi, doesn't it?"

He chuckled, "it has _everything_ to do with him and also, everything to do with you."

The pinkette nodded, "that's what I thought."

"Now, now, no more stalling. Stalling must be gone. What is the guess?"

"Alright, sorry," Sakura stated before clearing her throat. "Actually, I _did_ notice. I'm not completely sure what you mean, but something is definitely different about Itachi. Not only the way he looks, but sometimes how he acts. Do you mean…it's my fault he's like that?"

The fish-man didn't reply, only smiled at Itachi. She wondered if that meant she right, but if she was she still didn't know what it meant. Maybe she was onto something.

The man looked to Sakura before setting the oar down in the boat and gesturing to the shore behind him. "Land. We have reached land. That is the answer. You can both reach the cold place from here."

Sakura furrowed her brows. Was that really the answer? For some reason, she got the feeling that it wasn't, but it made perfect sense. He obviously had seen the land and they hadn't so he decided to mess with them. Or it was just her who hadn't. That could be why Itachi didn't guess, he already knew.

The Uchiha stood then and tightened his hold on her hand before gently prompting her to do the same. She stood beside her partner and looked to him curiously. Even if that wasn't the answer, it seemed like she was onto something. What _was_ the reason Itachi sometimes acted strange around her? Why did some of the things he say make her blush when nothing ever embarrassed her?

Something had definitely changed about Itachi, at least in regards to her, and likewise for how she felt about him. She didn't know, though. What was it, exactly?

Itachi guided her out of the boat and she glanced up at the trees. The girl remembered when she was first in Kanashimi. She had run through a forest before finding…one of those beasts. The memory of it still sent a chill down her spine. Hopefully, they wouldn't come across any of them this time.

Sakura suddenly snapped her fingers as she remembered something. She proceeded to take off her bag and rummaged in it for a moment before finding the desired item. She pulled out her cream-colored cloak and slipped it on, noticing the considerable difference in warmth. When she had adjusted it to a comfortable position, she placed the bag around her shoulders once more.

"Ready?" Itachi asked simply.

"I am now," she nodded.

He returned the nod before making his way towards the forest. Sakura soon followed and quickly fell in step beside him. She gazed up at the trees and smiled, remembering when she first met Itachi. It seemed like so long ago when that happened. It just…seemed like he was always there. In her life.

The girl shook her head at the thought of when she hated him. That didn't seem real either. It was so strange to think about the fact that she once hated Itachi. Now, she held no contempt for him at all. How, exactly, did she feel about him? He was an important friend, right? Somehow, that didn't describe it. She said that's how she regarded him, but it didn't seem like that anymore. Was it ever?

Sakura shook her head again and relented to worry about it later. She wasn't going to figure it out while they were walking through a forest. Instead, she should focus on what they needed to do in Kanashimi.

She noticed Itachi stop and turn to her before smiling. At first she was confused by this, but then she looked around and noticed they were in a clearing. Was this the same one where they first met? No, it was probably just another clearing in a forest.

"We're half-way there. It won't be much longer," she watched as his eyes lowered slightly. "Until we can return to where we came from."

The pinkette suddenly felt a sense of dread. They were almost done. After they completed the task in Kanashimi, they would return home and…they would be enemies again. It was like they would go back to the real world and this wasn't even real. She didn't care, though. No matter what, she wouldn't forget their time together. Would he?

"You're right," she nodded. "We'll leave this place soon."

After a moment, Itachi grasped her hand gently, "no matter what happens after we go back…I won't forget."

Sakura slowly smiled before wrapping her arms around his waist. "Neither will I."

He returned the action and familiarly placed his arms around her shoulders. Several moments passed before he withdrew his hold and stepped back. He then looked to the opposite path and sighed softly.

The Uchiha then glanced to her. "Do you have any idea of where you want to start?" he began. "Once we arrive in Kanashimi."

"Well, the first place I was at will be a good start," Sakura replied.

He smirked before a small smirk crossed his face. "Is it impossible for you to give me a straight answer?"

Sakura tilted her head. That was a strange thing for him to say. He sounded impatient, which wasn't like him. Then she remembered…that was something she had said when they first met.

She returned the smirk as she remembered what his response had been. "Impossible? Hardly," the girl replied. "I merely word things in such a way as to allow the receiver to interpret them in any way they choose." The pinkette's smirk widened when she thought about what she said next.

"Well, _little Shinobi_, this receiver thinks it's very amusing and it only makes me li…" he trailed off and looked away.

"What?" Sakura asked. He had clearly changed it, but what was he about to say?

After a moment, the Uchiha returned his attention to her and smiled, but it didn't look like his usual smile. "It is no matter," he shook his head before continuing towards the path. "We should go."

That didn't convince her, but she decided against asking again. She instead sighed and followed him onto the path. She wasn't even going to try thinking about that right now. It was obvious that she needed to at some point, but right now there were more important things to do then interpret the meaning behind everything.

As they walked further down the path, she started to recognize the effects of the area. The air was cold, the trees were dead and without leaves, the sky was considerably darker. The only thing missing was a red moon, which she knew they could come across soon.

Just as the Shinobi thought it, she noticed the red hue of the sky and the surrounding area. There were several small white objects drifting through the air and she wondered what they could be. One piece landed upon her cheek and it became considerably colder.

Snow. That was what was falling from the sky. Cold, white snow. She didn't recall it snowing last time she was in Kanashimi. Maybe it just got colder since that time.

Sakura followed Itachi past the tree line and into the open land beyond. She gasped quietly. Snow covered the entire ground and more was falling from the crimson sky above. How did this place look so ominous and yet so peaceful at the same time? It's like it was constantly at war with itself.

She scanned the area and noted that it looked exactly the same, with the exception of the snow. She was relieved that they didn't come across a Jisatsu. Even though it was still a little ways to the town, there was still the chance of them meeting one, but it seemed like they were safe.

Itachi looked to her then and asked, "Which direction is it?"

"Well, when I first arrived I wasn't conscious, but Nobu told me there were markers that could safely lead us to the town. He said they started from the point you leave the trees and continue along a path," she explained.

"I see," he looked down at the several inches of snow beneath them and shook his head. "Whatever they were have most likely been buried already."

Sakura frowned. If they were placed on the ground, but what if they were higher up, somewhere the snow couldn't cover? She nodded and looked around for something that stood above the ground, but the only thing that did were the trees. She decided then that the marker must be on one of the trees.

"Over here," Itachi announced. She looked to him and he offered her a small smile before trudging towards the end of the forest. Sakura followed, but the snow slowed her progress. She met the Uchiha by one of the trees, which had a piece of cloth tied to it.

"Good, you found it."

"Aa," he nodded before starting across the path. Sakura followed closely behind him, but noted that walking was so much easier. The snow wasn't as deep. _'Good, I was worried that it would really bother me.'_

They walked in silence for a while and it was fine at first, but it eventually got to the point where the pinkette couldn't stand it anymore. "So…have you ever been in a snowball fight before?"

Itachi looked over at her and smiled, "Aa, almost every winter I spent in Konoha." He tilted his head then, "And once with…the Akatsuki."

Sakura tried to imagine a group of highly-skilled and dangerous S-rank criminals having a childish snowball fight. She laughed, "that's hilarious, Snail."

"Aa," he chuckled softly. "I suppose it is."

"I've been in a few with my daddy," she stated. "He always lets me win, though."

"I see," he replied, glancing down at her. "Perhaps I will challenge you to one while we are here. However," he winked, "I may not be as easy going as your father."

Sakura punched her fist against her palm, "And I'm harder to beat than I look."

Itachi nodded, "I am well aware of that."

"Hell yeah!" she exclaimed. "It'd be crazy if you weren't, but anyway, regular snowball fights are different from training. They're so much easier."

The Uchiha raised a brow, "not the way I play."

Sakura smirked, "I doubt that. In comparison to Tsunade-sama's training, it's going to be easier, no matter who it is."

He shrugged, "the training for ANBU initiation is considerably difficult and strenuous as well."

"Well," she began, "we'll just have to test that when we have our match."

"Aa, so we will," he nodded before looking towards the path once more. "In any case, what sort of people are your informants?"

"Hm…well, Nobu, the father, is a very smart man. I think you'll get along with him really well. Koyori is really nice and she is a wonderful cook. She made some delicious cookies the first night I was there," Sakura explained. "And Yorito is just adorable. He's their son."

"Sounds pleasant," he smiled at her. "I really look forward to meeting them. It seems as if you're all rather fond of one another."

"Yeah," she nodded. "They're really close and Yorito mistook me for his sister while I was there."

"His sister, eh?" Itachi inquired. "Well, I suppose that must have been nice. How old is he?"

"He's four, but…" Sakura shook her head. "It was fun, but the situation wasn't nice at all."

"Oh?"

"His sister had committed suicide a few months ago," she replied.

"I see," the Uchiha responded, his eyes lowering.

"But," she began. "They didn't tell him."

He returned his attention to her, "Where does he think she is, then?"

"I don't know," she shrugged. "They only told him she wasn't coming back, but he didn't believe them. I guess my appearance made it easier for him to still think that."

Itachi merely nodded and remained silent. Sakura followed his example and quietly continued down the path beside him. When they rounded a bend, the landscape suddenly became very familiar. She knew exactly where this was because she had taken several morning walks this way. She proceeded to inform her partner that they were close and the town wasn't much further.

Sakura was actually excited to get there. She still didn't really like Kanashimi, but she loved the time she spent with the Tachikawa's and was eagerly anticipating it. She could let Yori win at tree climbing again and help Nobu in the garden. _Maybe_ Koyori could give her some cooking lessons._ Apparently_, she wasn't very good, but that was just Hinata's opinion. She had some nerve insulting her pastries when they were perfectly fine. Not that she ever tasted them, but she just knew they were good.

Itachi suddenly started walking a little faster than normal and Sakura had to pick up her pace to keep up with him. Something was wrong or troubling him. What was it?

They turned another bend and Sakura's eyes widened as she paused in her steps. Smoke was rising above the treetops and into the sky. It was coming in the direction of the village.

"Itachi, that's the town," she said hurriedly. "There's a fire in the town."

He didn't respond, but there wasn't any time she could waste waiting for him to say something so she immediately ran in the direction of the town. People could be hurt or worse and they had to do something.

She headed for the Tachikawa's house. If they weren't hurt then they could help get people out of there or tell them what was going on, but if they were…she didn't even want to consider that possibility.


End file.
